Item number: A2795

Year: AD 1107-1110

Material: Iron

Size: 32.2 x 32.4 x 2.7 mm

Weight: 9.0 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a coin minted during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, who was the eighth emperor of the Song dynasty. The coin was issued under his third era name, “Da Guan”. The meaning of “Da Guan” is tied to the emperor’s desire to “observe the great trends of the world”, reflecting his aspirations to understand and guide the broader political and social dynamics of the time.

The coin follows the typical form of a Chinese square-holed cash coin and is cast in iron. On the obverse, the inscription reads “Daguan Tongbao” (大觀通寶), engraved in the distinctive Slender Gold script, a calligraphic style uniquely created by Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty. The reverse side is plain, without any characters or decorative motifs.

Although the Daguan Tongbao coins were only minted for a brief four-year period corresponding to the Daguan reign era, they nonetheless exhibit a remarkable diversity of typological variants. In addition to the standard xiaoping qian (small denomination cash coins), the series also included denominations such as two-cash, three-cash, five-cash, and ten-cash. Based on the dimensions and weight of this particular specimen, it can be identified as a two-cash denomination coin.

Emperor Huizong of Song, whose personal name was Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty.

He had a profound interest in tea culture and calligraphy, and he 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.

Emperor Huizong also created the “Slender Gold” style of calligraphy, which he applied to his writings. The Slender Gold style, based on regular script, is characterised by its strong strokes and is considered a precursor to the Song style script.

物件編號: A2795

年代: 公元 1107-1110 年

材質: 鐵

尺寸: 32.2 x 32.4 x 2.7 mm

重量: 9.0 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是北宋第八任皇帝宋徽宗，以自身的第三個年號「大觀」鑄造的錢幣。「大觀」的涵義為皇帝期許自己能「觀天下大勢」。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為鐵錢。錢幣正面按照上、下、右、左的順序，以宋徽宗獨門自創的瘦金體鐫刻「大觀通寶」四字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

大觀通寶隨著年號更迭雖然僅鑄造四年，但是卻留下豐富的版型。大觀通寶除了小平錢的面額外，尚有折二、折三、折五和折十等面額。從這枚錢幣的尺寸和重量來判斷，其面額為折二。

宋徽宗，本名趙佶，宋朝第八位皇帝，對茶學、書法頗有研究，他曾寫下一本《大觀茶論》，描述宋代人觀茶、品茶，甚至「鬥茶」等茶藝術。《大觀茶論》除了描述宋代飲茶的現象外，更是世上唯一一位由帝王撰寫的茶葉專著。

宋徽宗也自創「瘦金體」，並將之應用於書法上，瘦金體以楷書為本，筆畫剛勁是仿宋體的前身。