Item number: A3304

Year: AD 1071-1077

Material: Bronze

Size: 28.5 x 28.6 x 1.8 mm

Weight: 8.55 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a zhe er denomination bronze coin titled “Xi Ning Zhong Bao”, cast during the Yuan Feng era of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song dynasty.

The coin conforms to the traditional form of Sinosphere coinage, namely a round coin with a square central hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Xi Ning Zhong Bao” in regular script, read in a clockwise sequence from the top. The character “Zhong” (重) features a left component composed of three vertically arranged “kou” (口) elements, with an additional left-falling stroke on the left-hand side. The character “Ning” (寧) displays the component “min” (皿) in the form of “wang si” (罒), which is not joined to the lower “ding” (丁) component. None of the four characters connects to the square hole or the outer rim. The coin surface is worn and indistinct, with a plain and uninscribed reverse.

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.

物件編號: A3304

年代: 公元 1071-1077 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 28.5 x 28.6 x 1.8 mm

重量: 8.55 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「熙寧重寶」，青銅質。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢。錢面錢文「熙寧重寶」楷書，自上而右旋讀。「𦣞」旁作三「口」豎列，左側增一撇劃；「寧」字「皿」旁作「罒」，與下方「丁」旁不相連。四字由上至右旋讀，均未接穿連輪。錢幕漫漶，光素無文。

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。