Item number: A3331

Year: AD 1644-1646

Material: Brass

Size: 27.4 x 27.5 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 5.5 g

Manufactured by: Chengdu Mint, Board of Work

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a brass coin minted during the late Ming dynasty by Zhang Xianzhong, who rose in rebellion in Shaanxi and, in AD 1644, captured Chengdu in Sichuan, where he established the self-proclaimed “Great Western” regime and adopted the reign title “Dashun,” under which this coin was issued.

The coin conforms to the traditional square-holed round format typical of the Han cultural sphere. The obverse bears the inscription “Da Shun Tong Bao” in regular script (kaishu). The calligraphy is delicate, with fluid and continuous brushstrokes. In the character “Tong” (通), the “Yong” (甬) component begins with a “マ”-shaped stroke forming a triangular enclosure, while the “辶” radical concludes with a curved final stroke. All four characters are connected to the central square hole (chuan) and linked to the surrounding rim (lianlun).

On the reverse, beneath the square hole, appears the character “Gong” (工), denoting the mint bureau. This indicates that the coin was supervised by the Ministry of Works (工部), modeled after the traditional Six Ministries of imperial Chinese administration. While the Ministry of Works was historically responsible for construction and engineering, in the context of the late Ming period, such functions were largely neglected due to prolonged warfare. Instead, the “Gong” bureau came to represent a special-purpose organ functioning in contrast to the Ministry of Revenue (戶部), which oversaw civilian affairs. Under military regimes, it was commonly tasked with raising military funds and supervising coin production.

According to the Ming History, “Biographies of the Rebel Bandits”, in the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen reign (AD 1644), after capturing Sichuan, Zhang Xianzhong proclaimed himself King of Great Western (Daxi Guowang), and later within the same year declared himself Emperor of Great Western, designating Chengdu as the Western Capital and adopting the reign title Dashun. It is recorded that he confiscated Buddhist statues from temples and bronze vessels from princely residences to melt down for the casting of “Dashun Tongbao” coins. Perhaps for this reason, the coinage is notable for its high-quality bronze, and numismatic catalogues consistently praise these coins for their lustrous surfaces and fine craftsmanship. In addition to the plain reverse type, variants exist with the reverse inscribed with the characters “Gong” (工), “Hu” (戶), and “Chuan” (川), of which the “Hu” and “Chuan” types are especially rare.

Peng Zunsi’s Shu Bi notes: “The people were ordered to hang placards identifying themselves as ‘obedient subjects’ (shunmin), fixed to the top of their hats using the new Dashun coin.” Similarly, Shen Xunwei’s Shu Nan Xulu records: “The bandit ordered that all cities and towns under his control declare themselves obedient subjects without fear. Every household was given a Dashun coin, and wearing it on the forehead guaranteed survival.” Thus, the Dashun Tongbao became a marker of loyalty or submission to Zhang’s regime. Even into the Qianlong reign (AD 1736–1796), there are records of these coins being used by women as hair ornaments. It is also said that sailors carried these coins as huaqian (decorative or amuletic coins) to invoke good fortune.

Zhang Xianzhong, a native of Xichong in Sichuan, was one of the most prominent leaders of peasant uprisings in the late Ming period. Born into poverty, he served as a cavalry officer before joining the rebellion due to dissatisfaction with the political situation and official oppression. He was active in Huguang and Shaanxi, and, along with Li Zicheng, was among the most renowned rebel leaders of the time—often paired in the saying, “Li Zicheng the Roaming King; Zhang Xianzhong the Eighth Prince.” Zhang’s forces were known for their mobility and tactical agility, repeatedly defeating Ming forces and expanding rapidly. Toward the end of the Chongzhen reign, he moved his campaign to the southwest and established the Daxi regime in Chengdu, assuming the title of King of Great Western and adopting the reign title Dashun. After entering Sichuan, he formally set up a bureaucratic system and proclaimed his own reign title in an effort to establish governance. However, his rule relied heavily on military coercion, and his decrees were largely ineffective. Military discipline deteriorated, and combined with years of warfare, famine, and disease, social order collapsed, and civilian suffering intensified.

Zhang’s troops carried out large-scale massacres in numerous locations, resulting in drastic population decline. Historical records even mention tigers roaming freely in once-bustling city streets. The term “Massacre of Shu” (tu Shu) became synonymous with the atrocities committed, particularly in cities such as Chengdu and Chongqing, which suffered the most severe devastation. In the fourth year of the Shunzhi reign (AD 1647), Zhang Xianzhong was ambushed and killed by Qing forces at Mount Fenghuang. He was forty-two years old. Following his death, his remaining forces, led by his adopted son Sun Kewang, retreated into Yunnan, where they eventually surrendered to the Qing court in AD 1657.

物件編號: A3331

年代: 公元 1644-1646 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 27.4 x 27.5 x 1.2 mm

重量: 5.5 g

製造地: 成都工部錢場

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚明朝末年，起兵於陝西的張獻忠在公元1644年攻克四川成都，於當地自立「大西」政權並以其「大順」年號所鑄造的銅錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢。錢面錢文「大順通寶」楷書。文字纖細，筆畫流暢。「通」字「甬」旁字首「マ」封口呈三角。「辶」旁底捺曲筆。四字均接穿連輪。

錢幕錢穿下方錢文「工」，為紀局。代表這枚錢幣是由張獻忠仿效中國歷代朝廷的「六部」制度，轄下主要負責營造建設的「工部」監造。明末諸多政權之「工」部，其專責營造建設等功能事宜在亂世中未被重視，而是強調與專責一般民生的戶部相對立的、專事特辦的性質，於軍事政權則多為軍方籌款與鑄錢。

據《明史·流賊傳》載，崇禎十七年(公元1644年)，張獻忠攻克四川後，自稱大西國王，同年改自稱大西皇帝，以成都為西京，改元大順。其並沒收寺廟的佛像和藩王府內的銅器以鑄造「大順通寶」。或許是因此銅質頗佳，錢譜中皆以光潤精整著稱。錢幣除了光背版本外，尚有背面鐫刻「工、戶、川」字的種類，其中以「戶、川」兩者最為罕見。

彭遵泗《蜀碧》載，「令民間家懸順民號帖，以大順新錢釘之帽頂。」沈荀蔚《蜀難敘略》中亦載，「賊下令曰，凡爾處市鎮俱順民，毋恐，家給大順錢，綴於首可不死。」大順通寶此時成為是否「順民」的標誌。直到乾隆年間，仍有「至今得者作婦女簪花」的紀錄。另外據稱出海的水手會收藏此錢作為花錢，以求好運。

張獻忠，四川西充人，為明末重要的農民起義領袖之一。早年出身貧苦，曾任驍騎校，後因不滿時局與官府壓迫而參與起義軍，活躍於湖廣、陝西一帶。與李自成齊名，時稱「闖王李自成，八大王張獻忠」。張軍以機動靈活著稱，多次擊敗明軍圍剿，勢力迅速擴張。崇禎末年轉戰西南，於四川成都建立大西政權，自稱大西王，年號「大順」。入蜀後，張獻忠形式上設置百官、頒布年號，試圖建立統治秩序。然而，其統治倚賴軍事壓制，政令難以推行，軍紀敗壞，加以四川連年戰亂、饑荒與疫疾，導致社會秩序迅速崩潰，民生極度困苦。張軍在多地進行大規模屠殺，使得人口大幅下降並留下老虎出沒於鬧市街道上的紀錄，後世有「屠蜀」之稱，尤以成都、重慶等地最為慘烈。 順治四年(公元1647年)，張獻忠在鳳凰山遇清軍被殺，時年四十二歲。其死後餘部在義子孫可望領導下退入雲南，直到公元1657年降於清廷為止。