Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Southern Song Dynasty
Duanping Tongbao,
Five Cash
(Elongated Ping &
Narrow Tong)
南宋
端平通寶
折五
(長腳平&狹通)
Item number: A2714
Year: AD 1234-1236
Material: Bronze
Size: 36.0 x 36.1 x 2.7 mm
Weight: 14.2 g
Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015
This is a large denomination bronze coin of the Southern Song dynasty known as “Duanping Tongbao” (端平通寶), issued under Emperor Lizong. It is classified as a “zhe wu” (折五) coin, meaning its face value equalled five standard coins.
The coin conforms to the typical Chinese form of a round coin with a square central hole (“fang kong yuan qian” 方孔圓錢). The obverse bears the inscription “Duanping Tongbao” in regular script (“kaishu” 楷書), read from top to bottom and right to left. The reverse is plain and uninscribed. The final stroke of the character “Ping” (平) extends downward with a long terminal hook; the character “Tong” (通) is positioned relatively close to the rim; none of the four characters connect the central hole to the outer rim. The reverse is plain and uninscribed.
The “Duanping” coin is not recorded in official historical sources but is mentioned in Gui Er Ji (《貴耳集》), a collection by the Southern Song scholar Zhang Duanyi. The text states: “The Duanping coin was cast, valued at five per piece. A mint was established in the capital, but fewer than a thousand strings were produced, while the court spent over ten thousand strings. It was abolished in less than a month.” Here, “capital” refers to the imperial city.
During the Southern Song, both copper and iron coins were in circulation, with distinct regional zones of usage. In the southeast, the economy was dominated by the use of paper currency known as “hui zi” (會子), with copper coins primarily serving a supplementary role. Consequently, copper coin production was limited. Furthermore, the shortage of copper, which had persisted since the Jin and Tang dynasties, remained unresolved, and no additional copper was available for minting. The expansion of the Southern Song’s commercial economy also accelerated the outflow of copper coinage beyond the empire’s borders—a situation that persisted despite repeated prohibitions. As a result, coins of the “Duanping” series are extremely rare.
Emperor Lizong of Song, personal name Zhao Yun (趙昀), reigned from AD 1224 to 1264. He was the fifth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty and its longest-reigning monarch. Originally a member of the imperial clan, he was placed on the throne by the powerful minister Shi Miyuan through a manipulated imperial edict. During the early years of his reign, political authority was held entirely by Shi Miyuan, with Lizong playing little role in governance. In AD 1233, following Shi Miyuan’s death, Lizong began to rule personally. He appointed officials such as Hong Zikui and Zhen Dexiu, implemented administrative reforms, and restructured the financial system—an effort known in history as the “Duanping Reform” (端平更化).
In AD 1234, the Southern Song allied with the Mongols to eliminate the Jin dynasty and succeeded in recovering some lost territories. However, the Song court’s breach of the alliance by seizing the Three Capitals triggered military conflict with the Mongols, initiating a prolonged period of national decline. Lizong revered Neo-Confucianism and upheld the teachings of Zhu Xi. He posthumously honoured Zhu Xi with the title “Duke of Fidelity to the State” (信國公) and enshrined him, along with Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and Zhang Zai, in the Confucian Temple, thereby establishing Neo-Confucianism as the state’s orthodox ideology. This had a profound and lasting influence on subsequent generations.
In his later years, Emperor Lizong became indulgent in sensual pleasures and placed great trust in Consort Yan. Political power fell into the hands of influential ministers such as Ding Daquan and Jia Sidao, leading to rampant corruption and widespread public discontent. In AD 1264, Lizong died at the age of fifty-nine and was buried in Yongmu Mausoleum (永穆陵). As he had no sons, he designated his nephew Zhao Qi as crown prince, who ascended the throne as Emperor Duzong of Song.