Item number: A2733

Year: AD 1086-1094

The results after XRF testing

Material: Copper Alloy

Size: 33.2 x 33.3 x 2.4 mm

Weight: 14.1 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2020

This coin is believed to have originally been a “Yuanyou Tongbao” zhe’er (value-two) iron mother coin, made of bronze and used in the casting process of standard iron coins during the Song dynasty. It would have been cast between the first and eighth years of the Yuanyou era under Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song dynasty (AD 1086–1093). The designation “zhe’er” indicates that the coin was worth the equivalent of two small-denomination coins. The coin has had an additional circular hole chiselled through it, rendering it unfit for circulation, which may suggest it was later repurposed as a palace coin used for games or gambling within the imperial court.

The coin follows the traditional square-holed round form characteristic of the Han cultural sphere, with the later-added round hole approximately aligned along the diagonal of the original square hole. Both the obverse and reverse show a raised outer rim and inner border; the inner border is also present around the additional drilled hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Yuanyou Tongbao” in semi-cursive script, read clockwise from the top. The characters are deeply incised and do not connect with the square hole or the outer rim. The character “Yuan” tilts slightly to the right with a heavier lower structure and looser spacing at the top, a form known as “yang Yuan” (uplifted Yuan). The character “Tong” is relatively narrow in its horizontal spread, a feature described as “narrow Tong”. The edges of the raised inscription, outer rim, and inner border are cut at a trapezoidal angle rather than vertically, a design likely intended to prevent sand adhesion during the moulding process and to facilitate clean release from the mould, thereby preserving the sharpness and integrity of the inscription. The reverse is plain and bears no inscription.

The widespread issuance of iron coinage during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties was primarily a response to shortages in copper resources and rising military expenditure. In the mid to late Northern Song period, as warfare intensified in the northwest, the central government implemented iron coinage policies in regions such as Shaanxi, Hedong, and Liangzhe to conserve copper for armaments and to exert tighter control over frontier economies. Iron coins, being inexpensive and easy to smelt, initially proved effective. However, their poor quality, limited durability, susceptibility to corrosion, and lack of parity with copper coins led to severe issues in circulation. These included market confusion, price instability, and widespread public dissatisfaction. The Southern Song inherited this system and continued to mint large quantities of iron coins in regions like Sichuan and Liangzhe, but circulation difficulties remained unresolved. In some areas, private iron coin casting became rampant, further exacerbating monetary instability. Overall, iron coinage functioned as a temporary fiscal solution under duress, capable of meeting short-term monetary demands but ultimately undermining public confidence and contributing to fiscal disarray due to its inferior quality and flawed policy design.

Zhe’er iron coins were primarily circulated in the later Northern Song period in the Shaanxi Circuit (encompassing present-day Shaanxi and eastern Gansu). Owing to the scarcity of copper in the northwest and the burden of military expenditure, the court turned to iron for coin production to conserve copper, while also using the iron coinage system to centralise control over military provisioning. Copper coin inflows into the Western Xia frontier were prohibited to weaken the enemy’s economy and prevent resource leakage. However, the fragile nature of iron coins, coupled with their limited portability, severely hindered local markets. The fluctuating exchange rates between iron and copper coins further destabilised the monetary system and eroded public trust. Combined with inconsistent central economic policies and the absence of a stable exchange or goods supply framework, these factors ultimately undermined morale on the front lines.

Emperor Zhezong of Song, Zhao Xu (r. AD 1085–1100), was the seventh emperor of the Song dynasty. He ascended the throne at the age of nine under the regency of his grandmother, Empress Dowager Gao (Xuanren Shenglie). During the early years of his reign, the government was dominated by conservative ministers such as Sima Guang, who led the Yuanyou Reforms, effectively repealing the New Policies introduced by Wang Anshi. After the empress dowager’s death, Zhezong assumed direct rule and reversed course by reinstating the New Policies under reformist officials such as Zhang Dun, a political shift referred to as the Shaosheng-Shaoshu Restoration. Zhezong’s temperament was considered obstinate and self-willed, and his preference for strict and authoritarian ministers led to political instability and intensified factional strife. Diplomatically, he maintained peace with the Liao dynasty but launched several military campaigns against the Western Xia, with limited success. His reign marked a turning point in the decline of the Northern Song, characterised by internal disorder and growing fiscal stress. Zhezong died in the third year of the Yuanfu era (AD 1100) without an heir and was succeeded by his younger brother Zhao Ji, later known as Emperor Huizong.

Palace coins, in addition to being used as imperial rewards, were often employed in courtly games and gambling. As early as the late Han period, gaming coins such as “yi qian” and “tan qian” were used in guessing games involving hidden coins, their number, or whether they were face-up or face-down. During the Tang dynasty, poetry referencing such games included lines such as: “Spring drowsiness leaves my hair uncombed; I am too lazy to follow the Emperor on his garden strolls. Instead, I sit briefly on the jade flower steps, and win two or three tokens in a coin-toss game.” The Song scholar Sun Zongjian also recorded that in dice-like games, victory or defeat was determined by whether the inscription side or reverse of the coin faced up.

Iridium, as one of the platinum group elements, is extremely rare in nature, with an average crustal abundance of less than 0.001 ppm. Its exceptionally high melting point and chemical inertness rendered it impractical for ancient metallurgical applications, and it was unlikely to enter alloy compositions through standard smelting processes. However, during the natural formation and metallogenic processes of gold, silver, and copper ores, iridium may occur as trace inclusions or associated minerals, especially in compositae ore deposits derived from igneous rocks, such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, or platinum-group-bearing alluvial gold sands. Typical iridium concentrations range from 0.1 to 1 ppm, with rare enriched concentrates reaching no more than 10 ppm. Due to the limitations of ancient refining technologies, such trace impurities could remain in partially purified metals. For instance, silverware that was not thoroughly cupelled has occasionally yielded iridium concentrations of tens to hundreds of ppb, serving as a geochemical indicator of natural ore sources. Similarly, early copper alloys or smelted products derived from chalcopyrite containing platinum-group metal micro-inclusions may retain iridium content below 1 ppm, reflecting the natural geological background of elements such as platinum, osmium, and ruthenium.

物件編號: A2733

年代: 公元 1086-1094 年

The results after XRF testing

材質: 銅合金

尺寸: 33.2 x 33.3 x 2.4 mm

重量: 14.1 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2020

此錢原應為「元祐通寶」折二鐵母，青銅質，為宋代鑄錢工藝中，用以翻砂製模，鑄一般行用鐵錢之母錢。於北宋哲宗元祐元年至元祐八年(公元1086至1093年)間鑄造。「折二」意即可折二枚小平錢。加鑿圓孔使之無法行用，或為禁中博弈用之宮錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢，後再加鑿圓孔，基本以方穿對角線為直徑。錢面錢幕均具外輪及內廓，內穿加鑿圓孔處有補上內廓。錢面錢文為「元祐通寶」，行楷，自上順時針旋讀。字口深峻，四字均未接穿連輪。「仰」字右傾微仰，即字體重心偏右，結構下密上疏，稱「仰元」；「通」字較水平寬度較窄，稱「狹通」。錢文與外輪內廓，其陽刻邊緣為梯形斜面，非垂直落往地章，應為避免於翻砂製模時掛砂之設計，確保脫模順利，維持錢文清晰度與完整性。錢背光素無文。

兩宋時期，鐵錢的鑄行主要緣於銅資源緊張與軍費壓力，尤其在北宋中後期，隨著西北戰事頻仍，中央為節銅以供軍器及控制邊地經濟，遂於陝西、河東、兩浙等地推行鐵錢政策。鐵錢成本低廉，冶煉便捷，初期頗具成效，然因其質地粗劣、難以長途流通、易生鏽蝕，加之無法與銅錢等值兌換，致使市場混亂，物價波動，民間怨聲載道。南宋承北宋之制，於四川、兩浙等地仍大量鑄行鐵錢，但流通困難依舊未解，民間甚至出現冶鐵自鑄之風，進一步加劇貨幣失衡。整體而言，鐵錢反映了兩宋財政壓力下的權宜之計，雖能短期補足貨幣需求，卻因品質與制度設計不善，最終成為加重民困與削弱政權信任的因素之一。

折二鐵錢主要流通於北宋後期的陝西路(今陝西及甘肅東部地區)。由於西北邊地銅源匱乏、軍費沉重，朝廷轉以鐵為材鑄錢以節省銅料，並透過鐵錢制度集中軍需支配權。並禁止中原地區的銅錢流入西夏邊境，藉以削弱敵對政權的經濟能力並防止物資外流。然而，鐵錢本身因易於朽壞、難以長距離攜行，對地方市場造成極大阻礙；其與銅錢間的價差與匯率混亂進一步引發通貨失衡，削弱民間對貨幣的信任。加以中央經濟政策反覆無常，未能有效建立穩定的兌換與物資供應體系，最終影響到了前線士氣。

宋哲宗(公元1085 年至1100年在位)，名趙煦，為宋朝第七位皇帝。哲宗即位時年僅九歲，由祖母宣仁聖烈皇后(高太后)垂簾聽政，初期政局由司馬光等新舊黨爭中的舊黨主導，推行「元祐更化」，廢止王安石變法。太后去世後，哲宗親政，轉而重用章惇等新法派，恢復變法政策，史稱「紹聖紹述」。哲宗個性剛愎自用，政治風格偏向任用嚴厲之臣，造成朝政動盪，黨爭激烈。外交上與遼國維持和議，對西夏則數次用兵，但戰果有限。哲宗時期內政不穩，財政日益緊張，是北宋由盛轉衰的重要轉折時期之一。他於元符三年(公元1100年)駕崩，無子，由其弟趙佶(即宋徽宗)繼位。

宮錢除賞賜外亦常作博戲之用。漢末以來已有「意錢」、「攤錢」之博戲，大約為藏錢而猜度錢的有無、數量，或正反。唐代則有以宮中「簸錢」為題之詩詞：「春來睡困不梳頭，懶逐君王苑北遊。暫向玉花階上坐，簸錢贏得兩三籌。」宋人孫宗鑑亦記，攧博「以錢文背面分勝負」。

銥(Iridium)作為鉑族金屬之一，在自然界中極為稀少，地殼平均含量不足0.001ppm，其高熔點與化學惰性使其在古代金屬工藝中並不具實用性，也難以通過常規冶煉程序進入合金主體。然而，在金、銀、銅等金屬礦物的自然生成與地質成礦過程中，銥有機會以極微量的包裹體或伴生礦形式出現，特別是在某些以火成岩為母岩的複合型礦床中，例如黃鐵礦、黃銅礦或含鉑族礦物的沖積金砂，一般含量通常為0.1至1ppm，在罕見的富集精礦中，最高也不會超過10ppm。由於古代礦石提煉技術無法完全去除這類痕量雜質，部分未經高純度精煉的金屬中可能保留痕量銥，例如在未經重度分金的銀器中檢出數十至數百ppb銥，被視為天然礦源的指標之一。同樣，源自含鉑族金屬微粒礦石的早期銅合金或黃銅礦煉製產物中，若檢出ppm級以下的銥成分，也可能反映出原礦地質背景中鉑族元素(如鉑、鋨、釕等)的自然殘留。