Item number: A3756

Year: AD 1107-1110

Material: Bronze

Size: 39.2 x 39.2 mm

Weight: 18.2 g

Provenance:

1. Spink 2023

2. Werner Klaus Burger Collection

This coin is believed to be a bronze “Daguan Tongbao” of ten-cash denomination, cast during the Daguan era (AD 1107–1110) under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song dynasty.

The obverse is furnished with a raised outer rim, while the square central aperture is defined by an inner border. The legend “Da Guan Tong Bao” is written in the Slender Gold script by Emperor Huizong; it is to be read vertically from top to bottom and right to left. The character da (大) inclines slightly to the left, with a clearly articulated turn in the na stroke, a feature conventionally termed a “left-leaning da”; the initial strokes of tong (通) and bao (寶) are aligned at the same level. Coins of the Da Guan Tong Bao type displaying this characteristic have been excavated in Shaanxi and other regions. Da Guan was an era name of Emperor Huizong, derived from the Book of Changes: “Great observation lies above; compliant and gentle, centred and upright, thereby observing all under Heaven.” It symbolised the emperor’s position on high, acting in accordance with Heaven’s mandate and governing the realm through the orthodox way. Accordingly, ritual propriety and sacrificial practices were given particular emphasis during the Da Guan era.

The reverse also bears an outer rim and inner rim, but is otherwise blank and uninscribed.

The “Chongning Tongbao” (崇寧通寶) and “Daguan Tongbao” coins minted during the reign of Emperor Huizong are renowned for their fine craftsmanship and are regarded as high points in the artistic development of Chinese numismatics. However, during the Chongning and Daguan periods and beyond, the imperial court became increasingly extravagant, military expenditures grew, and political power was dominated by eunuchs and corrupt ministers. To address mounting fiscal deficits, the government repeatedly increased coin denominations, expanded the production of copper and iron coinage, and accelerated the issuance of paper currency. Notably, under the repeated premierships of Cai Jing (蔡京), large-denomination and tin-alloyed coins were introduced for revenue extraction. These measures led to severe inflation, monetary instability, rising prices, and widespread disruption of trade and agriculture.

Emperor Huizong of the Song, Zhao Ji (born AD 1082, died AD 1135; reigned AD 1100–1125), was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. Politically ineffectual, he was nevertheless deeply devoted to the arts and to courtly life. Under his rule, ritual institutions and canonical regulations were highly esteemed, and the Slender Gold script he created proved especially well suited for use in coin inscriptions, becoming celebrated products of the Song period. In practice, however, state affairs were largely controlled by powerful ministers such as Cai Jing. Heavy taxation, excessive issues of currency, and predatory fiscal policies depleted the imperial treasury. In foreign affairs, strategic misjudgements—most notably the alliance with the Jin to destroy the Liao—amounted to inviting disaster into the state, ultimately culminating in the Jingkang catastrophe. Huizong was captured and taken north, where he died in exile. While later generations have praised his artistic and calligraphic achievements, his extravagant governance and uncontrolled fiscal policies are likewise regarded as key factors in the collapse of the Northern Song dynasty.

Werner Klaus Burger (AD 1936–2021), a German numismatist, was renowned for his pioneering research on Qing dynasty coinage. Born in Munich, he completed his studies in Sinology at the University of Munich in AD 1962. In 1963, he went to teach German at Fudan University in Shanghai. However, during the Cultural Revolution in 1965, after the closure of academic institutions, he was reassigned to tend sheep in Suzhou. Subsequently, he relocated to Hong Kong, where he devoted himself entirely to numismatic research. In AD 1974, he completed the first doctoral dissertation on Chinese numismatics, which was later expanded into his magnum opus, Ch’ing Cash, a chronologically organised catalogue of Qing dynasty coinage. His collection encompassed a comprehensive range of Qing coins and related archival materials. Burger passed away in Hong Kong in 2021 at the age of 85. His contributions to the field of numismatics remain profoundly influential.

物件編號: A3756

年代: 公元 1107-1110 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 39.2 x 39.2 mm

重量: 18.2 g

來源:

1. 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

2. 布威納博士舊藏

此錢應為北宋徽宗於大觀年間所鑄之銅質「大觀通寶」折十。

錢面錢緣具外輪，錢穿具內廓。錢文「大觀通寶」為徽宗所書瘦金體，由上至下、由右至左對讀。「大」字向左微傾，捺劃轉折明顯，稱「俯大」；「通」字與「寶」字字首齊平。該特徵之大觀通寶於陝西等地曾出土。大觀為徽宗年號，該年號取自《易經》“大觀在上，順而巽，中正以觀天下”之句，象征皇帝居於高位，順應天命，以正道治理天下。是故大觀年間特重禮制、祭祀之事。

錢背具外輪內廓，光素無文。

北宋徽宗治下所鑄之「崇寧通寶」、「大觀通寶」，鑄工精美，被視為錢幣藝術之高峰。然而，崇觀年間及以降，宮廷揮霍無度、軍費沉重，加上宦官專政、吏治敗壞，朝廷為彌補財政赤字，不斷加大銅、鐵錢之面額、鑄造量與紙幣發行規模，如蔡京數度拜相，皆鑄大錢、夾錫錢以斂財。此致市面通貨膨脹、幣值混亂，導致物價上漲、民間交易困難，商業與農業受損嚴重。

宋徽宗趙佶(生卒公元1082至1135年，公元1100至1125年在位)，是北宋第八位皇帝，政治才能薄弱，卻醉心文藝與宮廷生活。其治下推崇禮制與典章，所創瘦金體分外適合題為幣銘，成為宋代名品。但實務上，政務多由蔡京等權臣操控，重稅、濫發貨幣與財政掠奪使國庫虛耗。對外誤判形勢，聯金滅遼，引狼入室，終釀靖康之禍。徽宗遭俘北狩，身死異域。他一方面為藝術與書法成就受到後世讚譽，另一方面，其奢靡政治與失控財政，也被視為北宋覆亡的關鍵原因。

布威納(Werner Klaus Burger，生卒年公元1936-2021年），德國錢幣學家，以研究清代中國錢幣聞名。他生於德國慕尼黑，公元1962年於慕尼黑大學完成漢學學業，公元1963年赴上海復旦大學教授德語。公元1965年，因文化大革命學校關閉，被派往蘇州牧羊。因此移居香港，專注錢幣學研究，最終於公元1974年完成中國錢幣學首篇博士論文，後增補為其代表作《清錢編年譜》(Ch’ing Cash)。其收藏涵蓋清代錢幣及相關文獻。布威納於2021年在香港逝世，享年85歲，其對錢幣學的貢獻影響深遠。