Item number: A2628

Year: AD 1241-1252

Material: Bronze

Size: 34.5 x 34.5 mm

Provenance:

1. Spink 2023

2. Dr. Werner Burger Collection

This is a bronze coin from the Southern Song Dynasty, issued during the reign of Emperor Lizong. It bears the inscription “Chunyou Tongbao” (淳祐通寶), named after the fifth era title (nianhao) used during his lifetime.

The coin follows the typical square-holed design characteristic of Chinese cash coins. On the obverse side, the four characters “Chunyou Tongbao” (淳祐通寶) are inscribed in regular script (kaishu), arranged in the sequence of top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse side bears the denomination “Dang Bai” (當百)—meaning “worth one hundred”—engraved along the upper and lower edges.

During the earlier Duanping and Jiaxi reign periods (AD 1234–1240) under Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song, the empire faced severe disruptions due to Mongol invasions and natural disasters, which led to widespread displacement of the population and a sharp rise in inflation. It was not until the Chunyou era (AD 1241–1252) that the situation began to stabilise.

During the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty (AD 1224–1264), a total of eight era names were used. In the Duanping period (AD 1234–1236), Lizong formed an alliance with the Mongols, leading to the destruction of the Jin Dynasty, which had controlled northern China. However, Lizong, eager to reclaim the former Northern Song capital of Bianjing (Kaifeng), broke the agreement and launched an attack against the Mongol forces. This failed campaign ultimately led to an all-out war between the Mongols and the Southern Song.

After the Mongol conquest of the Southern Song and the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan’s Tibetan Buddhist confidant, Yang Lianzhenjia, desecrated Emperor Lizong’s tomb and crafted his skull into a ritual kapala bowl. It was only after Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty that Lizong’s remains were reburied with imperial honours.

物件編號: A2628

年代: 公元 1241-1252 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 34.5 x 34.5 mm

來源:

1. 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

2. 布威納博士舊藏

這是一枚南宋理宗時期，以其生平使用的第五個年號命名鑄造的「淳祐通寶」，材質為青銅。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，依序以漢字楷書書法鐫刻「淳祐通寶」四字。錢幣背面的上下兩側則鐫刻面額「當百」字樣。

宋理宗於稍早的端平和嘉熙年間(公元1234至1240年)，面臨蒙古入侵和天災的破壞，使得百姓流離失所和面臨嚴重的通貨膨脹，直到淳祐年間(公元1241至1252年) 情勢才趨於穩定。

宋理宗在位期間 (公元1224至1264年)，先後使用過八個年號。宋理宗於端平年間和蒙古結盟，雙方一舉消滅盤據在華北的金朝。然而急於收復北宋舊都汴京的宋理宗又毀約攻擊蒙軍，最終行動失敗也引發蒙古和南宋之間全面的戰爭。蒙古滅亡南宋建立元朝之後，忽必烈的藏傳佛教親信楊璉真珈還盜取宋理宗的陵寢，將其頭骨加工為法器嘎巴拉碗。直到朱元璋推翻元朝建立明朝後，才以皇帝的禮節將宋理宗的頭骨重新下葬。