Item number: A1941

Year: ND

Material: Bronze

Size: 27.9 x 27.6 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 5.8 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a divination charm used for coin-based divination. The Ming dynasty scholar Huang Yu (AD 1426–1497), in his unofficial historical record “Shuanghuai Suichao” (Miscellaneous Notes from the Double Pagoda Tree), documented a miraculous tale involving the Ming occultist Tong Yin. Due to Tong Yin’s contributions in advising Emperor Yingzong’s return to the throne, the emperor, upon his restoration, “ordered artisans to cast the four-character inscription ‘Yin Yang Shen Ling’ (Yin-Yang Divine Spirit) in metal, producing eighteen divination charms, which were then placed in an ivory box and bestowed upon him.” Subsequent imitations based on this account varied in size, weight, and reverse inscriptions, making authentication difficult.

The obverse of the charm bears the inscription “Yin Yang Shen Ling” (Yin-Yang Divine Spirit) in regular script (kaishu), arranged in a paired reading format. The characters “Yin,” “Shen,” and “Yang” are closely pressed against the outer rim or inner border, likely due to craftsmanship constraints. The strokes appear feeble and scattered, lacking the robust and dignified style characteristic of Ming dynasty coin inscriptions. Notably, the character “Yin” exhibits an archaic form, where the right component of “阝” takes the structure of “人镸” rather than the more common variant.

The reverse features a moon to the left of the central hole and a star to the right. The first recorded mention of this design appeared in “Gu Jin Qian Lüe” (A Brief Study of Ancient and Modern Coins), authored by Ni Mo in AD 1809. The description is based on a rubbing from the collection of Qin Enfu, then a scholar in the Hanlin Academy. The recorded coin diameter was 1.3 cun, approximately 4.03 cm, making it slightly larger than the present specimen.

Chinese numismatic charms are non-circulating copper objects primarily used for blessings, household protection, entertainment, and social purposes. They were prevalent from the Han dynasty to the Qing dynasty. Most charms are round with a square hole, though some feature irregular shapes or openwork designs. These charms serve various functions, including those inscribed with auspicious phrases for marriage and longevity, talismanic charms engraved with Bagua, Taiji, or Daoist symbols for warding off evil, and charms featuring zodiac animals, historical figures, or mythical creatures. Some were also used as gaming tokens or in religious rituals. The production of numismatic charms reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties, characterised by refined craftsmanship and diverse themes. Unlike official currency, numismatic charms had no fixed denomination and were not used as a medium of exchange. Typically cast by either private artisans or imperial workshops, these charms reflect popular customs and cultural beliefs, earning them the designation “minsu qian” (folk charms). As a result, they continue to be highly valued by collectors today.

Historical records from the Yuan and Ming dynasties document the practise of using coins for apotropaic magic (“yansheng”) and divination (“shi”). The term “yansheng” refers to rituals meant to ward off evil, while “shi” pertains to divination. “The History of the Ming Dynasty,” in the biography of Ma Wensheng, records that “in the temples of five mountains, five hills, four sea, and four river, Taoist priests placed stone caskets, sealed with talismans, containing scripture written in gold, gold and silver coins, precious stones, and five grains, all as objects of apotropaic magic.” Similarly, Tao Zongyi’s “Nanyang Chuo Geng Lu” (Records of Idle Farming in Nanyang) from the Yuan dynasty mentions, “Today, people use copper coins instead of milfoil stalks for divination due to their convenience. Additionally, some arrange eight coins in a circular formation to derive a hexagram; this method is called ‘Jin Jinglan’ (Golden Well Enclosure).” The actual origins of these practises may extend as far back as the Han or Tang dynasties. Apart from the “Jin Jinglan” method, different regions developed various traditions of coin-based divination, associating coin inscriptions, reverse designs, quantity, and orientation with Yin-Yang cosmology and numerology.

物件編號: A1941

年代: ND

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 27.9 x 27.6 x 1.3 mm

重量: 5.8 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此為一枚筮錢，為錢卜時所用。明人黃瑜(生卒公元1426-1497年)著野史《雙槐歲鈔》記明朝術士仝寅神異故事。由於仝寅迎英宗還朝有建言之功，英宗復辟後，「乃命工范金，鑄『陰陽神靈』四字，為筮錢十八文，又製象牙盒貯之以賜。」後有依此敘述倣鑄者，大小、重量、背文皆不一，真偽難辨。

錢幣的正面為「陰陽神靈」真書(楷書)，對讀。「陰、神、陽」字緊貼外輪或內廓，或為工藝條件所致。線條孱弱散漫，不似明代錢文筆畫渾厚端莊。「陰」字之寫法頗有古意，「阝」之右為「人镸」。

錢幣的背面穿左為月，穿右為星。公元1809年，倪模所著《古今錢略》始有記載此形制，拓自時任翰林院庶吉士之秦恩復的收藏，籍載幣徑一寸三分，約合今日4.03公分，略大於本錢幣。

中國花錢是一種非流通性銅質錢幣，主要用於祈福、鎮宅、娛樂、社交等用途，盛行於漢代至清代。其形狀多為圓形方孔，但也有異形、鏤空等設計。花錢的類型多樣，包括用於婚慶祝壽，刻有各式吉語的吉語錢。帶有八卦、太極、道教符號的鎮宅厭勝錢，以及生肖、歷史人物、神獸等主題。也有作為遊戲籌碼或宗教祭祀的專用錢幣。明清時期花錢發展達到高峰，工藝精美且題材豐富。與正式貨幣不同，花錢無固定面額，不作交易媒介，通常由民間或宮廷鑄造，因其反映民情風俗、文化信仰，故又稱為民俗錢，也因此至今仍為收藏家所珍視。

元明之際，史載已有以錢幣行厭勝術或巫筮的作法，厭勝即驅邪，筮即占卜。如《明史·馬文升傳》中提到：「岳鎮海瀆諸廟，用方士言置石函，周以符篆，貯金書道經、金銀錢、寶石及五穀為厭勝具。」元代陶宗儀《南陽輟耕錄》也提到：「今人卜卦，以銅錢代蓍，便於用也。又有以錢八文，周圍鋪轉，而取六爻，名曰『金井欄』。」實際流行時間不排除早至漢、唐。除「金井欄」法外，各地錢卜風俗各異，為錢文、錢背、數量、方位附會陰陽術數之說。