Item number: A3307

Year: AD 1111-1118

Material: Bronze

Size: 31.0 x 31.0 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 7.85 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This coin is a zhe er denomination piece titled “Zheng He Tong Bao”, cast during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song dynasty, specifically between the first and eighth years of the Zheng He era (AD 1111–1118). The designation zhe er indicates a value equivalent to two xiao ping qian (small standard coins).

The coin conforms to the traditional Sinosphere format of a round coin with a square central hole. The obverse bears the inscription “Zheng He Tong Bao” in seal script, read vertically from top to bottom and horizontally from right to left. The outer rim is comparatively broad, while the characters are relatively small. None of the four characters connect to the inner square or the outer rim. The surface contours are worn and indistinct, and the reverse is plain and uninscribed.

During the Song dynasty, a dual currency system composed of copper and iron coinage was implemented, with distinct circulation regions. Iron coins were primarily circulated in frontier areas such as Shaanxi, Guangnan, Sichuan, and Hedong, although these zones were occasionally subject to adjustment. In some regions, copper and iron coins circulated concurrently. This arrangement arose due to several factors: first, the domestic shortage of copper ore; second, the need to prevent copper coinage from flowing into rival regimes such as Western Xia, Liao, and Jin; and third, to supply military needs locally and alleviate pressure on the central treasury. Consequently, the Song government initially minted iron coins. However, due to the heavy weight and inconvenience of iron currency, early forms of paper money—namely jiaozi and huizi—emerged as alternatives.

Emperor Huizong of Song, personal name Zhao Ji, reigned from AD 1103 to 1135 and was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. Renowned for his refined taste in art and calligraphy, he developed the distinctive “Slender Gold” script and secured a lasting legacy in Chinese art history. However, his political leadership was marked by incompetence and decadence. He placed excessive trust in corrupt officials such as Cai Jing and Tong Guan, leading to a deterioration of state affairs. During the Zheng He era, he entered into the Maritime Alliance with the Jin dynasty to jointly eliminate the Liao dynasty, a strategy that ultimately provoked a Jin invasion of the south. In the first year of the Jingkang era (AD 1126), the capital Bianjing fell, and the following year Emperor Huizong, along with his successor Emperor Qinzong and numerous members of the imperial family, was captured and taken north to Wuguocheng. This event marked the fall of the Northern Song dynasty. Emperor Huizong later died in captivity.

物件編號: A3307

年代: 公元 1111-1118 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 31.0 x 31.0 x 1.5 mm

重量: 7.85 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此錢為「政和通寶」折二錢。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。錢面錢文為「政和通寶」篆書。自上而下、自右而左對讀。外輪較寬。字體較小。四字均未接穿連輪。錢幕輪廓夷漫，光素無文。

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。

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。