Item number: A3302

Year: AD 1078-1085

Material: Bronze

Size: 28.4 x 28.3 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 9.05 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a cast bronze Yuanfeng Tongbao coin of the Zhe’er (Value Two) denomination, minted during the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song Emperor Shenzong’s reign (AD 1078–1085).

The coin follows the traditional form of round coins with square central holes that had been standardised in the Han cultural sphere. The obverse inscription reads “Yuanfeng Tongbao” in semi-cursive script (xingshu), arranged clockwise from the top. The character “元” is placed slightly to the right, with an indistinct connecting final stroke. The character “通” slants leftward and slightly downward; its “甬” component begins with a “マ”-shaped stroke, and the initial horizontal stroke sits low. The characters “元,” “通,” and “寶” all connect to the square hole, while “通” and “寶” also touch the outer rim. The coin’s reverse is plain and uninscribed, with a worn and indistinct inner rim.

Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu, reigned from AD 1067 to 1085. In the face of fiscal strain and military threats along the borders, and mindful of the earlier failure of the Qingli Reform, he appointed Wang Anshi to implement a comprehensive set of policies collectively known as the New Policies (Xin Fa). Rooted in the principle of “taking from the people to be used for the people,” these reforms sought to expand state intervention in and control over the economy. Key measures included the Green Sprouts Loan Policy, the Public Trade Bureau system, the Transport Commission scheme, and the Land Survey and Equalised Taxation Act. These were designed to stabilise the agrarian economy, suppress private monopolies, and ensure a more equitable tax structure. Additionally, the government introduced the Hired Labour Law to reform the corvée system, and undertook large-scale irrigation and agricultural improvement projects. The minting of token coins of inflated nominal value was also pursued to offset budgetary deficits. During the Yuanfeng period, however, the court re-evaluated these policies amidst fierce factional conflict between reformers and conservatives, leading to Wang Anshi’s resignation on two occasions and the partial repeal or dilution of several reforms. Nevertheless, Shenzong remained committed to fiscal expansion, legal rationalisation, and bureaucratic strengthening, and actively supported New-Confucian learning and practical governance education to cultivate talent capable of navigating turbulent times. Ultimately, shortly before his death, Emperor Shenzong designated Sima Guang, a leading conservative, to assume regency, effectively signalling the end of the reform era.

During the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, a dual currency system of bronze and iron coins was implemented. These coin types were assigned to different regions: iron coins circulated primarily in frontier or military zones such as Shaanxi, Guangnan, Sichuan, and Hedong, with occasional adjustments; a few areas maintained parallel circulation of bronze and iron coins. This policy was driven by several considerations: the domestic scarcity of copper ore, the desire to prevent copper coins from flowing into rival regimes such as Western Xia, Liao, and Jin, and the need to supply frontier troops with locally sourced currency to avoid overburdening the central treasury. While iron coinage was initially prioritised, its heavy weight and inconvenience eventually gave rise to paper currency prototypes such as jiaozis and huizis.

From Japan’s Nara period through to the Meiji Restoration, Song, Ming, and Qing bronze coins were widely used and imitated. Due to the vibrancy of Song-era commerce, Song coinage in particular became dominant in circulation. From the 17th century onwards, under the Tokugawa shogunate’s isolationist policy, Japan produced large quantities of trade coins at Nagasaki to meet commercial demands from Ming, Qing, and Vietnamese markets. Among these, the Yuanfeng Tongbao became one of the most frequently reproduced types.

物件編號: A3302

年代: 公元 1078-1085 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 28.4 x 28.3 x 1.6 mm

重量: 9.05 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是北宋神宗，於元豐年間所鑄行之折二「元豐通寶」，青銅質。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面錢紋「元豐通寶」行書。四字由上至右旋讀。「元」字相對位置靠右，末筆連筆不明顯；「通」字左傾微俯，「甬」旁字首為「マ」，首橫低起。「元、通、寶」字接穿，「通、寶」字連輪。錢幕光素無文，內廓夷漫。

宋神宗趙頊，公元1067-1085在位，熙寧年間，面對財政困難與邊患壓力，汲取慶曆變法失敗的教訓，任用王安石推行新政，意圖透過制度改革實現富國強兵。王安石提出「取之於民，用之於民」的理念，推動青苗法、市易法、均輸法與方田均稅法，嘗試擴大國家對經濟的介入與主導，並以募役法改革勞役制度、提倡水利興修以提升農產，形成一套以政府主導的經濟重整方案。並鑄虛值大錢以補國用不足。在元豐年間，神宗朝重新檢討先前變法政策，王安石亦兩度離相，改革派與守舊派激烈爭論，導致部分法令遭到削弱或廢止。然而，神宗仍致力於擴充財政、整頓法制與官僚體系，並支持新儒學與經世致用之學，以培養能應變時局之人才。最終宋神宗病逝前指定舊黨司馬光輔政，標誌著改革的結束。

兩宋時期的錢幣採銅-鐵二元制，區分行用區域，各自流通。鐵錢鉗多行用於陝西、廣南、四川、河東等邊境諸路或前線區域，時有更動，少數地區銅鐵並行。之所以如此，一來是國內的銅礦資源缺乏；二來是防止銅錢流入競爭對手，諸如西夏、遼和金等北方政權；三為就地供給軍需，以免拖垮中央財政。使得兩宋朝廷先是鑄造鐵錢，後更因鐵錢質重，攜帶不便，出現紙幣雛形的「交子、會子」作為貨幣。

日本從奈良時代至明治維新前曾大量行用與倣鑄宋、明、清之青銅，又因宋代商貿經濟之發達，而以宋錢為流通大宗。公元17世紀起，鎖國的德川幕府為滿足對明、清、越南等地貿易需求，於長崎大量鑄造貿易錢，其中最常見者，便是元豐通寶。