Item number: A4063

Year: AD 1662-2023

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.8 x 24.7 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 4.0 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This specimen is purportedly an era coin, Kangding Tongbao (康定通寶), produced during the fifth regnal period of Emperor Renzong (仁宗), the fourth sovereign of the Northern Song (北宋). It is cast in the xiaoping denomination. Over his forty-one-year reign, Zhao Zhen (趙禎) adopted nine distinct era names.

The physical form follows the traditional square-holed round coin of the Sinic cultural sphere. The obverse legend features Kangding Tongbao (康定通寶) in regular script of the Slender Gold style, read in a top-to-bottom, right-to-left sequence. However, the first year of the Kangding (康定) era (AD 1040) predates the birth of Emperor Huizong (徽宗)—the progenitor of the Slender Gold style—by forty-two years. Furthermore, the Song (宋) dynasty had not yet developed the Ming (明) dynasty practice of supplementary casting of coinage from preceding reigns; consequently, this piece is likely a fantasy issue. Notably, the calligraphy of the character Kang bears a striking resemblance to the script found on the Kangxi Tongbao (康熙通寶), while diverging significantly from the chronologically closer Jingkang Tongbao (靖康通寶).

The Kangding Tongbao (康定通寶) is absent from official historical records. Ding Fubao’s (丁福保) Encyclopedia of Ancient Coins (Guqian Da Cidian), quoting the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle Dadian), asserts that the Kangding Tongbao (康定通寶) was cast in the first year of the era. Conversely, in the official annals, the “Annals of Renzong” in the History of Song (Song Shi) records that in the twelfth month of the first year of Kangding (康定) (AD 1040), large value-ten coins were cast to provision frontier expenses. The Draft of the Song Administrative Statutes (Song Huiyao Jigao) notes that due to insufficient funds in Shaanxi (陜西), the Vice Minister of Agricultural Colonies, Pi Zhongrong (皮仲容), proposed increasing minting operations. Consequently, imperial decrees ordered the casting of large coins in Jiangnan (江南), while iron coins were produced in Jiang (江), Chi (池), Guo (虢), and Rao (饒) Prefectures to be transported to Guanzhong (關中). These records only mention the casting of large bronze denominations; there is no mention of bronze xiaoping coins, and the legends remain unspecified. The legends on the iron coinage are recorded as Kangding Yuanbao (康定元寶).

Zhao Zhen (趙禎), who reigned from AD 1022 to AD 1063, was the fourth emperor of the Northern Song (北宋). His tenure was characterised by national stability and relative social prosperity, later historically lauded as the “Prosperous Reign of Renzong” (仁宗盛治). Politically, he prioritised civil governance, appointing distinguished officials such as Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹), Bao Zheng (包拯), Han Qi (韓琦), and Ouyang Xiu (歐陽修) to drive institutional and civil service reforms. Although these efforts encountered resistance from conservative factions, they laid the foundation for the subsequent Xining Reforms. Renzong (仁宗) was noted for his benevolence and tolerance toward his ministers, actively soliciting critical advice. Despite the emergence of factional strife, the overall political landscape remained secure. During his reign, he personally adjudicated miscarriages of justice and promoted Confucianism and fiscal frugality.

In the second year of the Baoyuan (寶元) era (AD 1039), Li Yuanhao (李元昊) of the Western Xia (西夏) proclaimed himself emperor, prompting a military campaign by the Song (宋) court. This conflict exacerbated long-standing frontier inflation and financial distress, leading to the minting of large coins to fund military expenditures. Following successive defeats at the battles of Sanchuankou (三川口), Haoshuichuan (好水川), and Dingchuanzhai (定川寨), the Song (宋) court further increased the production of large iron coins to offset losses. Ultimately, during the early years of the Qingli (慶曆) era, the Song (宋) government opted for peace treaties with the Liao (遼) and Western Xia (西夏). By providing annual subsidies in exchange for border security, a period of stability was established for the mid-Northern Song (北宋).

The currency system of the Song (宋) dynasty was sophisticated, utilising both bronze and iron as formal legal tender alongside paper currency. Silver also began to occupy a significant role. Bronze coins were issued in denominations ranging from value-one to value-ten. Various circuits minted coinage according to local requirements: some utilised copper exclusively, others iron, and some a bimetallic system. Calligraphic styles varied widely, encompassing regular script, clerical script, seal script, and the Slender Gold style. The simultaneous issuance of a single coin type in multiple scripts commenced with the Chunhua Yuanbao (淳化元寶) under Emperor Taizong (太宗). The introduction of “matched coinage”—sets of coins with identical dimensions but different calligraphic styles—likely originated with the Tiansheng Yuanbao (天聖元寶) during the reign of Renzong (仁宗).

物件編號: A4063

年代: 公元 1662-2023 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.8 x 24.7 x 1.1 mm

重量: 4.0 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是據傳北宋的第四位皇帝宋仁宗，以其使用的第五個年號，所鑄造的年號錢「康定通寶」，形制為小平錢。宋仁宗趙禎在位的41年間，先後使用過九個年號。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統的方孔圓錢。正面錢文為楷書瘦金體的「康定通寶」，自上而下，自右而左對讀。但康定元年(公元1040年)距首創瘦金體的宋徽宗出生，還有42年，且宋代還未發展出明代補鑄前朝貨幣的傳統，故當為臆造。而「康」字則極似「康熙通寶」之錢文，而與理論上年代較近的「靖康通寶」相距甚遠。

康定通寶正史無載。丁福保《古錢大辭典》轉引《永樂大典》，言康定通寶為康定元年所鑄。而在正史中，《宋史·仁宗紀》康定元年十二月戊申記：「鑄當十錢，權助邊費。｣；《宋會要輯稿·食貨》記：「康定元年因陜西移用不足，屯田員外郎皮仲容建議增監冶鑄。因敕江南鑄大錢，而江池虢饒州又鑄小鐵錢，悉輦致關中。」僅有銅質大錢的鑄造紀錄，未有小平錢，錢文也不明。鐵錢錢文則為「康定元寶」。

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。

寶元二年(公元1039年)，西夏李元昊表請稱帝，於是宋廷出兵征伐。邊境長期以來物價騰湧的問題爆發，財政困難，因此鑄大錢來助邊費。宋軍於三川口、好水川、定川寨等戰役中一敗再敗，期間又加鑄大鐵錢以彌補損失。最終於慶曆初，宋廷決定與遼、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。

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。