Item number: A3763

Year: AD 1044-1048

Material: Bronze

Size: 31.2 x 31.2 x 1.3 mm

Weight: 7.15 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This coin is likely a Qingli Zhongbao of zhe shi, cast between the fifth and eighth years of the Qingli reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song (AD 1044–1048). The term zhe shi denotes a nominal conversion value equivalent to ten standard small cash coins.

The coin conforms to the traditional square-holed round form of the East Asian cultural sphere. Both obverse and reverse are furnished with an outer rim and an inner border. The obverse bears the regular-script inscription Qingli Zhongbao, read from top to bottom and from right to left. The character Zhong is comparatively short. The reverse is plain and uninscribed, with the rims and borders worn and indistinct.

During the middle years of the Qingli reign, continued border conflicts between the Northern Song and the Western Xia and Liao states led to the further casting of copper and iron coins with a nominal value of ten, intended to “support military expenditures in the Guanzhong region”. These dang shi coins weighed less than two standard cash coins, effectively reducing their statutory weight to one fifth of the nominal standard and thereby inducing inflation. Toward the end of the Qingli period, because “unscrupulous persons engaged in illicit casting, and their use grew ever lighter”, coins originally valued at ten were revalued as zhe san.

Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen (r. AD 1022–1063), was the fourth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. His reign was marked by political stability and relative prosperity, known in historiography as the “Flourishing Governance of Renzong”. Politically, he promoted civil administration and appointed renowned ministers such as Fan Zhongyan, Bao Zheng, Han Qi, and Ouyang Xiu. These figures advanced reforms in the imperial examination and administrative systems, laying the groundwork for later reforms under the Xining era, despite facing resistance from conservative factions. Emperor Renzong was known for his lenient and benevolent temperament, often tolerant toward his officials and receptive to remonstrance. Although partisan conflicts occasionally disrupted court politics, overall governance remained stable. Renzong personally adjudicated many judicial injustices and promoted Confucian values and frugality. In foreign affairs, he maintained peaceful relations with both the Liao and Western Xia dynasties, avoiding large-scale wars and securing border stability through annual tribute payments. His reign also witnessed cultural flourishing, with a remarkable output of literary talent, marking a mature phase of Song political and cultural development.

物件編號: A3763

年代: 公元 1044-1048 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 31.2 x 31.2 x 1.3 mm

重量: 7.15 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

此錢應為「慶曆重寶」折十。於北宋仁宗慶曆五年至慶曆八年(公元1044至1048年)間鑄造。「折十」意即可折十枚小平錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢，錢面錢幕均具外輪及內廓。錢面錢文為楷書「慶曆重寶」，自上而下、自右而左對讀。「重」字較短。錢背光素無文，輪廓漫漶。

慶曆年中，由於北宋與西夏、遼國的邊境衝突，故續鑄當十大銅錢、鐵錢，「助關西軍費」。當十錢不如二錢重，等於法重減為五分之一，造成通貨膨脹。慶曆末，由於「奸人盜鑄，其用日輕」，以折十錢改值折三。

宋仁宗趙禎，公元1022–1063年在位，為北宋第四位皇帝。仁宗統治時期國力穩定，社會相對繁榮，史稱「仁宗盛治」。政治上，他推崇文治，重用范仲淹、包拯、韓琦、歐陽修等名臣，推動科舉與制度改革，雖屢遭保守勢力反對，但為後世熙寧變法奠定基礎。仁宗性格寬厚仁慈，對臣下多寬容，善於納諫，儘管治下黨爭時起，但整體政局安定。他任內多次親自裁決冤獄，並提倡儒學與節儉。在外交上，最終決定與遼、西夏維持和議，避免大規模戰爭，透過歲幣換取邊境和平，形成北宋中期的穩定局面。