Item number: A3797

Year: AD 918

Material: Bronze

Size: 22.9 x 22.7 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 3.15 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This is a bronze coin inscribed with “Guangtian Yuanbao,” minted during the turbulent period following the fall of the Tang Dynasty, known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era. It was issued in AD 918 under the reign of Wang Jian, the founder of Former Shu, a regional regime that controlled Sichuan and its surrounding areas. This coin corresponds to the sixth reign title adopted by Wang Jian during his rule.

The coin conforms to the traditional square-holed round form characteristic of the Han cultural sphere. The obverse inscription, Guangtian Yuanbao, displays a mixture of scripts: the character guang approaches a semi-cursive style; yuan is close to clerical script and resembles that of the Tang Kaiyuan Tongbao; while tian and bao are closer to regular script. The reverse is plain and uninscribed, with the outlines heavily worn. The central aperture is a “flowered” or irregular piercing, rendering the hole nearly circular in form. This type is unrecorded in earlier numismatic catalogues, and its provenance remains unknown.

The Former Shu was a short-lived state founded by Wang Jian during the chaotic final years of the Tang Dynasty. Rising from a background as a rogue and salt smuggler, Wang Jian took advantage of the Huang Chao Rebellion to gain military influence and gradually secured control over the Sichuan Basin, with Chengdu as his centre of power. In AD 907, dissatisfied with Zhu Wen’s manipulation of the Tang imperial family, he declared himself king. His reign was marked by peace and extensive hydraulic projects, allowing the local population to prosper. However, after his death, his successor Wang Yan proved to be an incompetent and hedonistic ruler. This weakness led to an invasion by Later Tang, and in AD 925, Former Shu was annexed, ending its 19-year rule.

物件編號: A3797

年代: 公元 918 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 22.9 x 22.7 x 1.1 mm

重量: 3.15 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是唐朝滅亡的五代十國豪強割據之際，以四川為根據地的前蜀開創者王建，以公元918年使用的第六個年號鑄造之「光天元寶」青銅錢。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢。正面錢文「光天元寶」，「光」字近行書意；「元」字近隸，似唐開元通寶；「天、寶」字近楷。錢幕光素無文，輪廓漫漶。錢穿花穿，使穿孔近圓形。前譜無錄，出處不明。

王建統治四川期間，先後使用過六個年號，其建國初期的天復(公元901至907年) 和武成 (公元908至910年) 年間並未鑄造錢幣，直到永平 (公元911年) 年間方才依照年號鑄造對應的錢幣。

前蜀為王建在唐朝末年的混亂之際，以四川作為根據地建立的政權。王建出身於無賴和鹽梟，趁著黃巢之亂投身於行伍之中，並且逐漸控制起以成都為中心的四川盆地。公元907年，王建不滿挾持唐皇室的朱溫擺布自立稱王，其在位期間不發動戰事和大興水利，使得四川一地的百姓得以安養生息。然而王建死後，繼位的王衍荒淫無道並且遭到後唐的入侵，最終前蜀於公元925年遭到後唐併吞，立國僅19年。