Item number: A1716

Year: AD 1225-1227

Material: Iron

Size: 26.0 x 25.8 x 1.7 mm

Weight: 5.0 g

Manufactured by: Lizhou Shaoxing Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

The Great Song Yuanbao and Great Song Tongbao coins were both minted during the Baoqing era of the Southern Song dynasty (AD 1225–1227), the first reign title of Emperor Lizong. The Yuanbao coinage was produced in both copper and iron, with inscriptions written in regular script (kaishu) and arranged in a rotating reading order. The obverse bears the inscription “Da Song Yuanbao,” signifying its status as a national coinage, while the reverse is plain and uninscribed.

Based on extant archaeological discoveries and numismatic records, copper coins were minted in two sizes: xiaoping (small standard) and zhe’er (double-value), with reverse inscriptions marking the year of issue. Iron coins were produced in xiaoping and zhesan (triple-value) denominations, with the reverse inscriptions indicating either the year of minting or the overseeing authority. Xiaoping iron coins measure between 2.58 and 2.6 centimetres in diameter and weigh between 4 and 5.8 grams, with most examples unearthed in Jiangsu. Zhesan iron coins range from 2.95 to 3.3 centimetres in diameter, weighing between 6.5 and 10.2 grams, and are primarily found in Sichuan. Reverse inscriptions typically record the minting year or supervising authority, whereas coins with blank reverses are rare and may have served as master coins (muqian). Based on its measured diameter and weight, this particular coin is most likely a xiaoping type, which circulated in the Huainan, Jingxi, and Hubei circuits. The possibility of a zhe’er denomination requires further investigation. Some scholars argue that plain-backed iron coins and those with the reverse inscription “Lizhou Xingshi” share the same obverse inscription and were likely produced by the same minting authority.

During Emperor Lizong’s reign, in the first year of the Duanping era (AD 1234), the Southern Song successfully allied with the Mongols in a coordinated offencive that led to the destruction of the Jin dynasty. However, in the aftermath, the Southern Song was left to face continued Mongol incursions alone. After Kublai Khan eventually conquered the Southern Song, the Tibetan monk Yang Lianzhenjia, serving under his command, looted the Yongmu Mausoleum, where Emperor Lizong had been interred, and removed his skull to be fashioned into a kapala bowl, a ritual implement in Tibetan Buddhism. It was not until Zhu Yuanzhang expelled the Mongols and established the Ming dynasty that Emperor Lizong’s remains were reburied with imperial honours in Nanjing, before being relocated to the original site of the Yongmu Mausoleum in Lin’an.

The chronic coin shortages of the Tang and Song dynasties—often described as episodes of monetary contraction—were primarily caused by inadequate copper ore production and the outflow of currency due to its high credit value as a regional medium of exchange. Following the implementation of the Two-Tax Law (liangshui fa), which further monetised state finances, the situation worsened. Additionally, successive generations frequently repurposed coins for metalware, and private hoarding persisted despite repeated prohibitions. From the Tang to the Song dynasty, coin shortages remained a significant economic crisis for the state. Since the founding of the Song dynasty, Sichuan had relied exclusively on iron coinage due to persistent copper shortages and the high cost of minting. In the late Southern Song period, the circulation of iron currency expanded even further for the same reason. Due to the cumbersome nature of iron coins, this system ultimately led to the introduction of the earliest known paper money, jiaozi.

物件編號: A1716

年代: 公元 1225-1227 年

材質: 鐵

尺寸: 26.0 x 25.8 x 1.7 mm

重量: 5.0 g

製造地: 利州紹興監

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

大宋元寶與大宋通寶皆鑄於南宋寶慶年間(公元1225至1227年)，為宋理宗的第一個年號，元寶幣材有銅鐵兩種，錢文楷書，旋讀。錢幣正面幣文「大宋元寶」，為國號錢，錢幣背面光素無文。依目前出土資料及錢譜，銅錢大小分小平、折二，背文紀年。鐵錢大小分小平，折三，背文紀年、紀監。鐵小平錢錢徑2.58-2.6公釐，重4至5.8公克，多出土於江蘇。折三錢，錢徑2.95至3.3公釐，重6.5至10.2公克，多出土於四川。背面多紀年、紀監，光背者稀少，或為母錢。依所測錢徑及重量計算，該錢幣應為小平錢，小平錢流通於淮南、京西路、湖北路一帶。可能的折二形制，還需要近一步研究。有學者論，光背鐵錢與錢背「利州行使」者，面文相同，作監應亦相同。

宋理宗在位期間，於端平元年(公元1234年)成功聯合蒙古夾擊消滅金朝，但後續南宋被迫單獨面對蒙古持續的入侵。忽必烈後續成功消滅南宋以後，麾下西藏僧人楊璉真珈盜掘安葬宋理宗的永穆陵，取其頭顱作為藏傳佛教的法器「嘎巴拉碗」。直到朱元璋驅逐蒙古人建立明朝以後，方才以帝王禮葬將宋理宗的頭顱安葬於南京，後遷葬至臨安的永穆陵舊址。

唐宋錢荒，或言通貨緊縮，最初源於銅礦產量不足，與做為區域強權高信用貨幣而造成的貨幣外流。在《兩稅法》以降，財政的貨幣化之後，情勢愈惡。加以歷代銷錢為器、私人窖藏屢禁不止。由唐至宋，錢荒皆為國家大患。自宋開國以來，四川地區便專行鐵錢，南宋晚期區域更是擴張，皆因銅料不足，鑄幣昂貴。因鐵錢笨重，還催生了史上最早的紙幣「交子」。