Item number: A2678

Year: AD 1107-1110

Material: Bronze

Size: 40.8 x 40.8 x 2.2 mm

Weight: 15.4 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This coin is believed to be a bronze “Daguan Tongbao” of ten-cash denomination, cast during the Daguan era (AD 1107–1110) under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song dynasty.

The obverse displays a broad outer rim and a clearly defined inner rim around the central square hole. The inscription “Daguan Tongbao” (大觀通寶), written in Emperor Huizong’s distinctive “slender gold script” (瘦金體), is read top-to-bottom, right-to-left. The character “Tong” (通) is positioned slightly higher and aligns with the top of “Bao” (寶), with a narrower form. All four characters are rendered in relatively thick strokes. Coins with these characteristics have been unearthed in regions such as Shaanxi. Daguan was an era name adopted during the reign of Emperor Huizong. It was derived from a passage in the Book of Changes (Yijing): “The great view is above; it is compliant and yielding, upright and central in observing all under Heaven” (大觀在上，順而巽，中正以觀天下). The phrase symbolises the emperor’s position at the summit of the hierarchy, governing in accordance with Heaven’s mandate and upholding righteous principles. Accordingly, the Daguan period placed particular emphasis on ritual propriety and sacrificial ceremonies.

The reverse also bears an outer rim and inner rim, but is otherwise blank and uninscribed.

The “Chongning Tongbao” (崇寧通寶) and “Daguan Tongbao” coins minted during the reign of Emperor Huizong are renowned for their fine craftsmanship and are regarded as high points in the artistic development of Chinese numismatics. However, during the Chongning and Daguan periods and beyond, the imperial court became increasingly extravagant, military expenditures grew, and political power was dominated by eunuchs and corrupt ministers. To address mounting fiscal deficits, the government repeatedly increased coin denominations, expanded the production of copper and iron coinage, and accelerated the issuance of paper currency. Notably, under the repeated premierships of Cai Jing (蔡京), large-denomination and tin-alloyed coins were introduced for revenue extraction. These measures led to severe inflation, monetary instability, rising prices, and widespread disruption of trade and agriculture.

Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji (趙佶, AD 1082–1135; r. AD 1100–1125), was the eighth ruler of the Northern Song dynasty. While he lacked political acumen, he was deeply devoted to the arts and courtly aesthetics. His reign exalted ritual and ceremonial culture, and he personally penned inscriptions for era-name coins, seeking to symbolise imperial authority and a vision of peace through monetary form. In reality, government affairs were largely controlled by powerful ministers such as Cai Jing, and excessive taxation, unrestrained currency issuance, and fiscal exploitation depleted the state treasury. Externally, Huizong misjudged the geopolitical situation by allying with the Jurchen Jin against the Liao dynasty, only to provoke the fall of the Song capital during the Jingkang Incident. Captured and exiled to the north, he died in foreign lands. While Huizong is remembered for his artistic and calligraphic achievements, his extravagant rule and disastrous financial policies are also seen as decisive factors in the collapse of the Northern Song dynasty.

物件編號: A2678

年代: 公元 1107-1110 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 40.8 x 40.8 x 2.2 mm

重量: 15.4 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

此錢應為北宋徽宗於大觀年間所鑄之銅質「大觀通寶」折十。

錢面錢緣具外輪，外輪較闊，錢穿具內廓。錢文「大觀通寶」為徽宗所書瘦金體，由上至下、由右至左對讀。「通」字位置較高，與「寶」字字首齊平，字體也稍窄。錢文四字字體均較粗。該特徵之大觀通寶於陝西等地曾出土。大觀為徽宗年號，該年號取自《易經》“大觀在上，順而巽，中正以觀天下”之句，象征皇帝居於高位，順應天命，以正道治理天下。是故大觀年間特重禮制、祭祀之事。

錢背具外輪內廓，光素無文。

北宋徽宗治下所鑄之「崇寧通寶」、「大觀通寶」，鑄工精美，被視為錢幣藝術之高峰。然而，崇觀年間及以降，宮廷揮霍無度、軍費沉重，加上宦官專政、吏治敗壞，朝廷為彌補財政赤字，不斷加大銅、鐵錢之面額、鑄造量與紙幣發行規模，如蔡京數度拜相，皆鑄大錢、夾錫錢以斂財。此致市面通貨膨脹、幣值混亂，導致物價上漲、民間交易困難，商業與農業受損嚴重。

宋徽宗趙佶(生卒公元1082至1135年，公元1100至1125年在位)，是北宋第八位皇帝，政治才能薄弱，卻醉心文藝與宮廷生活。其治下推崇禮制與典章，親筆書寫年號錢，試圖以錢幣彰顯皇權威嚴與升平氣象。實則政務多由蔡京等權臣操控，重稅、濫發貨幣與財政掠奪使國庫虛耗。對外誤判形勢，聯金滅遼，引狼入室，終釀靖康之禍。徽宗遭俘北狩，身死異域。他一方面為藝術與書法成就受到後世讚譽，另一方面，其奢靡政治與失控財政，也被視為北宋覆亡的關鍵原因。