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Northern Song Dynasty
Zhenghe Tongbao
(Seal Script Version 2)
北宋
政和通寶
(篆書二版)
Item number: A883-2
Year: AD 1111-1118
Material: Bronze
Size: 24.6 x 24.7 x 1.1 mm
Weight: 3.4 g
Provenance:
1. Noonans 2022
2. D.L.F. Sealy Collection
This is a “Zhenghe Tongbao” coin minted during the reign of Emperor Huizong, the eighth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, using his fourth reign title. Emperor Huizong ruled for 25 years and employed a total of six era names during his reign. The coin’s inscription reflects the “Zhenghe” period, which was emblematic of the emperor’s ambition and vision during this phase of his rule.
The coin follows the typical square-holed design, with its entire surface covered in a green patina. On the obverse side, the inscription “Zhenghe Tongbao” is carved in seal script, arranged sequentially from top to bottom, right, and left. The reverse side is blank, with no inscriptions or designs. The “Zhenghe Tongbao” coins are divided into three denominations based on weight and size: One-Cash, Two-Cash, and Three-Cash. When categorised by script style, there are three types: clerical script, seal script, and regular script. Even within the same script style, there are slight variations in the characters.
Emperor Huizong of Song, whose personal name was Zhao Ji. He had a profound interest in tea culture and calligraphy, and authored a book titled “Treatise on Tea in the Daguan Era,” which describes the tea art of the Song Dynasty, including tea appreciation and tea competitions. This book is the only tea monograph written by a reigning emperor in history.
Despite Emperor Huizong’s exceptional artistic accomplishments, his reign was marked by flawed diplomatic policies. These missteps ultimately facilitated the rise of the emerging Jin Dynasty. Following the Jin’s conquest of the Liao Dynasty, they breached the northern Song capital in AD 1127, capturing Emperor Huizong, then acting as a retired emperor, along with his recently enthroned successor, Emperor Qinzong, and other members of the imperial family. This event, known as the Jingkang Incident, compelled the Song court to flee southward, marking a dark chapter in Chinese history.
During the Song Dynasty, in addition to bronze coins, one notable feature was the widespread circulation of iron coins, a phenomenon rarely seen in other dynasties. This practise arose primarily for two reasons: first, the domestic shortage of copper resources; and second, the need to prevent copper coins from flowing into the hands of northern rival states, such as the Western Xia, Liao, and Jin. As a result, the Song court initially began minting iron coins, and later introduced early forms of paper money, such as Jiaozi and Huizi, as alternative currency.