Item number: A2171

Year: AD 1104-1106

Material: Bronze

Size: 34.4 x 34.2 x 2.4 mm

Weight: 10.7 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This coin, inscribed with “Chongning Tongbao” and denominated as “value ten”, was cast during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song dynasty, specifically between the third and fifth years of the Chongning era (AD 1104 to 1106). The designation “value ten” signifies that it was intended to be equivalent to ten standard small denomination coins.

The coin possesses both an outer rim and an inner border on its obverse and reverse sides, with the outer rim being relatively broad. The obverse features the inscription “Chongning Tongbao” written in regular script, arranged in a clockwise reading order. The calligraphy is attributed to Emperor Huizong himself; although some sources suggest that Cai Jing may have contributed to the writing, this remains unverifiable. The character “Chong” features an extension on the right side of the “宀” radical surpassing the second stroke of the “示” radical, while on the left, the second stroke of the “示” radical extends further than the “宀” radical, resulting in an overall rightward tilt. The third dot of the “心” radical in “Ning” is notably elongated. In the character “Tong”, the initial stroke of the “甬” component is extended and closely aligned with the first dot of the “辶” radical. The vertical stroke in the centre of the “Yong” component extends upward to connect with the upper part. The character “Bao” is pressed closely against the inner border, a feature known as “jiguo” or “crowding the rim”. The structure and brush style of the script are dissimilar to other coinages, thus it is referred to as a “variant script” (yishu), and is rarely recorded in numismatic catalogues. The reverse side of the coin is blank, without any inscriptions.

Following the reigns of Emperor Shenzong during the Xining and Yuanfeng eras (AD 1068 to 1085), the output of metal ores began to decline. Although the exemption tax policy was abolished and the export of copper coins was prohibited, commodity prices continued to rise gradually. The central government frequently faced fiscal difficulties. As a result, Cai Jing, a student of Wang Anshi and leading figure of the New Policies faction, was appointed chancellor under the reign title “Chongning”, intended to symbolically honour the Xining reforms. He reinstated many of the New Policies with the aim of generating state revenue. Cai Jing promoted the minting of “Chongning Tongbao” and “Chongning Zhongbao” coins with inflated denominations of ten, which later became the primary form of currency used to facilitate fiscal extraction. However, in terms of weight and copper content, the intrinsic value of the “value ten” coins may not have equalled even three small denomination coins from the Tianxi era. This discrepancy led to widespread market disruption and rampant counterfeiting. Consequently, the “value ten” coins were successively re-evaluated to function as “value five”, and later as “value three”, before the currency was ultimately withdrawn.

Emperor Huizong of Song (AD 1082–1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty and reigned from AD 1100 to 1126. He was highly accomplished in painting and calligraphy, and he developed the distinctive “slender gold” script. He fervently patronised the arts and Taoism, elevating court culture to its artistic pinnacle. Politically, however, he was ineffectual and indulgent, relying on corrupt officials and mismanaging foreign relations, particularly in his dealings with the Liao and Jin dynasties. This misjudgement culminated in the Jingkang Incident. In AD 1127, he was captured and taken north during this event, marking the fall of the Northern Song dynasty. He later died in captivity in Wuguocheng, a city under Jin control. Huizong is remembered both as an artistic genius and as a ruler whose failures contributed to the dynasty’s collapse, making him one of the most controversial emperors in Chinese history.

物件編號: A2171

年代: 公元 1104-1106 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 34.4 x 34.2 x 2.4 mm

重量: 10.7 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此錢為「崇寧通寶」當十，於北宋徽宗崇寧三年至崇寧五年(公元1104至1106年)間鑄造。「當十」意即可當十枚小平錢。

錢幣面背均具外輪及內廓，外輪稍寬。錢面錢文為「崇寧通寶」，楷書，旋讀，錢文原文為宋徽宗御筆，相傳一些錢文為蔡京所書，但無從辨識。「崇」字「宀」旁右側超出「示」旁第二劃，左側則為「示」旁第二劃所超，整體向右傾斜；「寧」字「心」旁第三點為長點；「通」字「甬」旁首首劃較長，緊貼「辶」旁首點。「用」旁中央豎劃出頭，與上方部件相接；「寶」字緊貼內廓，有稱「寄郭」或「擠郭」者。此錢筆法結構不類他錢，故稱「異書」，泉譜罕見。錢背則光素無文。

北宋熙寧、元豐年間(公元1068至1085年)以降，礦產量逐漸減少。雖廢免役法及禁錢出境，但物價仍緩慢上漲。中央財政也時有困難，於是任王安石學生，新黨蔡京為相，改元崇寧，意即追崇熙寧，復行新法，為國取利。蔡京鼓鑄當十的崇寧通寶、重寶，後更專用之，以收斂財之效。但綜合重量及銅含量，當十錢之價值可能不及天禧年間小平錢三枚。是故，市場紛擾不斷，盜鑄亦普遍。於是後以當十錢作當五，後又作當三，終至廢弛。

宋徽宗(生卒公元1082-1135年)，名趙佶，是北宋第八位皇帝，在位自公元1100至1126年。他精於書畫，自創瘦金體，極力推崇藝術與道教，將宋代宮廷藝術推至高峰。政治上昏庸，重用奸臣，揮霍無度，誤判金遼局勢，導致靖康之變。公元1127年，靖康之變中被俘北上，北宋滅亡，後死於金國五國城。徽宗既是藝術巨匠，也被視為誤國之君，歷史評價兩極。