Item number: A4011

Reference number: Yan#333、DCD#59-2

Year: AD 1008-1016

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.4 x 24.3 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 4.65 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This specimen is the Xiangfu Tongbao (祥符通寶), an era name coinage cast during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong (宋真宗) of the Northern Song Dynasty. It derives its name from the Dazhong Xiangfu (大中祥符) era (AD 108–1016).

The physical form of the coin conforms to the traditional round shape with a square central perforation characteristic of the Sinospheric cultural orbit. The coin diameter is relatively small. The obverse features the inscription Xiangfu Tongbao (祥符通寶) in regular script (kaishu 楷書), read circumspectly starting from the top. The calligraphy consists of shrunken characters with dense, crowded strokes that appear blurred and indistinct. The character Tong (通) is notably slender and elongated, with its position slightly shifted towards the right—a stylistic variation not previously documented in existing numismatic catalogues. The lower-right portion of the character Fu (符) appears truncated, suggesting manual tooling or re-engraving. The overall contour of the obverse exhibits an axial offset towards the bottom-left. The reverse is a plain back type, entirely devoid of any inscriptions, with its contour exhibiting an axial offset towards the bottom-right.

The era name originally intended for this coinage was Dazhong Xiangfu, named after the “Heavenly Books” (auspicious omens) reportedly received by Emperor Zhenzong. However, as the era name Dazhong had previously been used by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, it could not be used for new coinage. Consequently, the inscription was shortened to Xiangfu, issued as both Tongbao and Yuanbao.

Zhao Heng (Emperor Zhenzong, r. AD 997–1022) was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty and the son of Emperor Taizong. Throughout his twenty-five-year reign, he utilised five era names: Xianping, Jingde, Dazhong Xiangfu, Tianxi, and Qianxing. In his early years, Zhenzong largely maintained the administrative foundation laid by Taizong, prioritising civilian governance and continuing the national policy of venerating Confucianism and treating the scholar-official class with high prestige. The early part of his reign saw heightened tensions with the Liao Dynasty. In AD 1004 (the first year of the Jingde era), when Liao forces invaded the south, Zhenzong—at the persistent urging of Chancellor Kou Zhun—personally travelled to Zhanzhou to oversee the military operations. This led to the conclusion of the “Chanyuan Treaty,” which ushered in a long period of relative peace between the Song and Liao. While the treaty secured peace through annual subsidies (suibi), it provided stability to the northern frontier, though Zhenzong later viewed the necessity of such payments with some regret. In the mid-to-late period of his reign, the Emperor became increasingly preoccupied with auspicious omens (furui), Fengshan sacrifices, and Taoist mysticism. This culminated in the Dazhong Xiangfu era, when he claimed “Heavenly Books” had descended to Earth, changed the era name accordingly, and performed the final Fengshan sacrifices in Chinese history. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son, Zhao Zhen (Emperor Renzong).

The monetary system of the Song Dynasties was remarkably complex. Officially circulated currency utilised both copper and iron as primary metallic media, which functioned alongside paper currency (huizi and jiaozi). Concurrently, silver gradually assumed a position of significant importance. Copper coins were issued in denominations ranging from a value of one (zhey-yi) to ten (zhe-shi). Various circuits (lu 路) minted coins according to local demand; some regions utilised only copper, some only iron, and others a bimetallic combination. The calligraphic styles employed on these coins were diverse, encompassing regular, clerical, seal, and slender gold scripts. The simultaneous issuance of coinage in multiple calligraphic styles originated with the Chunhua Yuanbao (淳化元寶) under Emperor Taizong. However, the introduction of pair coins (duiqian 對錢)—series of coins with identical dimensions but rendered in different scripts—largely commenced with the Tiansheng Yuanbao (天聖元寶) during the reign of Emperor Renzong.

物件編號: A4011

參考書目編號: Yan#333、DCD#59-2

年代: 公元 1008-1016 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.4 x 24.3 x 1.2 mm

重量: 4.65 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一枚鑄造於北宋真宗時期的年號錢，取年號「大中祥符」而得名。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢。幣徑較小。正面為楷書「祥符通寶」，錢文自上而右旋讀。字體較小，筆劃較密而漫漶。「通」字較細長，位置微向右偏移，前譜未見。「符」字右下截去一部，疑遭加刀、改刻。輪廓向左下偏軸。錢背光素無文，輪廓向右下偏軸。

該枚錢幣所屬的年號原為「大中祥符」，因宋真宗曾收到有祥瑞之意的「天書」而得名。但由於「大中」年號已被唐宣宗使用，不能鑄造相關的年號，因此錢文曰「祥符」，分為「通寶」與「元寶」。

宋真宗趙恆，為宋朝第三位皇帝，宋太宗趙炅之子，於至道三年(公元997年)即位，在位至乾興元年(公元1022年)，共二十五年。其在位期間先後使用咸平、景德、大中祥符、天禧、乾興五個年號。宋真宗即位初期，大體承繼太宗以來的統治基礎，政治上重視文治，延續宋代崇尚儒學、優禮士大夫的國策。其統治前期，北宋與遼朝關係緊張，至景德元年(公元1004年)遼軍南下，真宗於宰相寇準力請下親至澶州督戰，最終與遼訂立「澶淵之盟」，此後宋遼大致維持長期和平局面。此盟雖以歲幣換取和平，然亦使北宋北境得以相對安定，但真宗逐漸視其為害。真宗朝中後期，日益重視符瑞、封禪與道教祥異之說。尤其大中祥符年間，因宣稱「天書」降臨而改元，並舉行朝謁等盛典，並進行中國歷史上最後一次封禪。真宗逝後，其子趙禎即位，是為宋仁宗。

兩宋幣制複雜，正式行用的幣材便有銅鐵兩種，配合紙幣相權。白銀則逐漸佔有重要地位。銅幣面額折一至折十不等。各路依需求各自鑄錢，有些只用銅錢，有些只用鐵錢，有些銅鐵兼用。字體則楷書、隸書、篆書、瘦金體等不一而足。首度同時發行多書體錢幣，自太宗淳化元寶始，而首度發行對錢，即形制相仿但書體不同的系列錢幣，大概自仁宗天聖元寶始。