Item number: A2732

Year: AD 1111-1118

The results after XRF testing

Material: Copper Alloy

Size: 30.6 x 30.6 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 9.85 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2020

This coin is believed to be a “Zhenghe Tongbao” zhe’er (value two) iron mother coin made of bronze, used during the Song dynasty as a model for casting standard iron coins through sand-moulding techniques. It was minted during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song dynasty, specifically from the first to the eighth year of the Zhenghe era (AD 1111–1118). The designation “zhe’er” indicates that it was valued at twice the denomination of a standard small coin.

The coin conforms to the traditional Han cultural form of square-holed round coins. Both obverse and reverse exhibit pronounced outer rims and inner borders, with the outer rim notably raised. The obverse features the inscription “Zhenghe Tongbao” in clerical script, read vertically from top to bottom and right to left. The strokes are sharply incised, and none of the four characters connect to either the square hole or the outer rim. The character “He” tilts slightly leftward and downward, with a style reminiscent of regular script, commonly referred to as “leaning He.” The incised edges of the inscription, outer rim, and inner border are trapezoidal rather than vertical in cross-section—a design intended to prevent sand adhesion during mould separation, thereby ensuring smooth release and preserving the clarity and integrity of the coin design. The reverse is plain and bears no inscription.

During the Song period, the widespread use of iron coinage was primarily driven by copper shortages and mounting military expenditure. Particularly in the mid to late Northern Song, as warfare intensified in the northwest, the central government implemented iron coinage policies in regions such as Shaanxi, Hedong, and Liangzhe, aiming to conserve copper for weaponry and control frontier economies. Iron coins, being low-cost and easy to smelt, initially yielded practical benefits. However, their coarse quality, susceptibility to rust, and poor transportability severely impeded circulation. Furthermore, their inability to maintain parity with copper coins destabilised the market, causing price volatility and widespread public discontent. The Southern Song continued this policy in areas like Sichuan and Liangzhe, yet circulation issues persisted. Instances of unauthorised private iron coin casting emerged, exacerbating currency disequilibrium. In sum, iron coinage represented an expedient fiscal response under duress, capable of temporarily easing currency shortages but ultimately undermining public confidence and exacerbating economic hardship due to its inferior quality and systemic flaws.

The zhe’er iron coins circulated mainly in the late Northern Song across the Shaanxi Circuit, covering present-day Shaanxi and eastern Gansu. Owing to the copper scarcity and high military expenses in the northwestern frontier, the court resorted to minting iron coins as a cost-saving measure and to centralise control over military supply chains. Simultaneously, the inflow of copper coins into the Western Xia border was prohibited to weaken the enemy’s economy and restrict material outflow. Yet the inherent flaws of iron coinage—its fragility, impracticality for long-distance transport, and lack of public trust—posed significant challenges to regional markets. The inconsistent conversion rates between iron and copper coinage further destabilised the monetary system. The central government’s erratic economic policies and failure to establish a stable exchange and supply mechanism ultimately weakened frontline morale.

Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji (reigned AD 1103–1135), was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. He was renowned for his mastery of painting and calligraphy, creating the celebrated “Slender Gold” script and leaving a lasting legacy in Chinese art history. However, his reign was politically disastrous. He placed excessive trust in ministers such as Cai Jing and Tong Guan, leading to governmental corruption and mismanagement. During the Zhenghe era, he formed the maritime alliance with the Jin dynasty to jointly destroy the Liao regime, inadvertently inviting Jin aggression against the Song. In AD 1126, the capital Bianjing fell in the Jingkang Incident, and in the following year, Huizong, along with his son Emperor Qinzong and members of the royal family, was captured and exiled to Wuguo Fortress in the north, marking the fall of the Northern Song. Huizong died in captivity.

Iridium, one of the platinum group metals, is exceedingly rare in nature, with an average crustal abundance of less than 0.001 ppm. Its extremely high melting point and chemical inertness rendered it impractical for use in ancient metallurgy and excluded it from standard smelting processes. Nevertheless, trace amounts of iridium may occur as inclusions or associated minerals within naturally forming deposits of gold, silver, and copper—particularly in compositae ore bodies formed from igneous rocks, such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, or alluvial gold sands containing platinum group elements. Typical concentrations range from 0.1 to 1 ppm, with highly enriched concentrates rarely exceeding 10 ppm. Given the limitations of ancient refining techniques, such trace impurities could remain in partially purified metals. For instance, tens to hundreds of parts per billion (ppb) of iridium have been detected in silverware that was not thoroughly cupelled, serving as a geochemical signature of natural ore sources. Similarly, iridium content below 1 ppm in early copper alloys or chalcopyrite-derived products may reflect residual platinum group elements—such as platinum, osmium, or ruthenium—from the original geological context.

物件編號: A2732

年代: 公元 1111-1118 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 銅合金

尺寸: 30.6 x 30.6 x 2.3 mm

重量: 9.85 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2020

此錢應為「政和通寶」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。於北宋徽宗政和元年至政和八年(公元1111至1118年)間鑄造。「折二」意即可折二枚小平錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢。錢面錢幕均具外輪及內廓，外輪高挺。錢面錢文為「政和通寶」，隸書，自上而下、自左而右對讀。字口深峻，四字均未接穿連輪。「和」字左傾微俯，有楷意，稱「俯和」。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。

宋徽宗趙佶(公元1103至1135年在位），北宋第八位皇帝。他精於書畫，創「瘦金體」，留名於中國藝術史。然其政治昏庸，寵信蔡京、童貫等人，國政敗壞。政和年間與金國締結海上之盟，聯金滅遼，終致引金兵南侵。靖康元年(公元1126年)汴京陷落，翌年徽宗與欽宗等人被俘北遷五國城，北宋滅亡，徽宗並卒於幽禁。

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。