The Northern Song Dynasty Ancient Chinese coinage

1 northern song dynasty

1.1 emperor tai zu (960–76)
1.2 emperor tai zong (976–97)
1.3 emperor zhen zong (998–1022)
1.4 emperor ren zong (1022–63)

the northern song dynasty


obverse , reverse of tian xi tong bao coin.

in 960, general zhao kuangyin had throne thrust upon him mutinous officers. allowed later zhou family retire peacefully , established song dynasty. coins main basis of song monetary system. cloth had reverted status of commodity. aided exploitation of new copper mines, cash produced on large scale. yuanfeng period (1078–85), casting 17 different mints produced on 5 million strings year of bronze coins. mints produced 200,000 strings year; largest named shao zhou , located in guangdong, there large copper mine. produced 800,000 strings year. in 1019, coinage alloy set @ copper 64%, lead 27%, tin 9%. shows reduction of 20% in copper content compared tang dynasty kai yuan coin.

with official coinage available, private coining not serious problem. song coins used on of asia, in korea, japan, annam, , indonesia. hoards of song coins found in these countries.

a wide variety of ordinary cash coin types produced. inscription changed when period title changed. seal, li, regular, running, , grass styles of writing used @ various times. many inscriptions written ruling emperor, has resulted in of admired , analysed calligraphy found on cash coins. in addition, inscriptions use yuan bao (chinese: 元寶; pinyin: yuánbǎo) or tong bao (chinese: 通寶; pinyin: tōng bǎo), increasing number of variations possible. large coins used zhong bao (chinese: 重寶; pinyin: zhòng bǎo) issued in variety of sizes , nominal denominations, devalued after issue.

a feature of northern song coinage sets of dui qian (chinese: 對錢; pinyin: duì qián; literally: matched coins ). means simultaneous use of 2 or 3 different calligraphic styles on coins of same period title otherwise identical in size of hole, width of rim, thickness, size , position of characters , alloy. 1 can assume these congruences arose workmanship of different mints, no attributions have yet been proposed.

from beginning of dynasty, iron coins extensively used in present-day sichuan , shaanxi copper not readily available. between 976 , 984, total of 100,000 strings of iron coins produced in fujian well. in 993, paying land tax 1 iron coin equal 1 bronze, salary of clerks , soldiers 1 bronze equalled 5 iron coins, in trade ten iron coins needed 1 bronze coin. in 1005, 4 mints in sichuan produced on 500,000 strings of iron coins year. declined 210,000 strings beginning of qingli period (1041). @ time, mints ordered cast 3 million strings of iron cash meet military expenses in shaanxi. however, 1056, casting down 100,000 strings year, , in 1059 minting halted 10 years in jiazhou , qiongzhou, leaving xingzhou producing 30,000 strings year.

during xining period (from 1068), minting increased, , yuanfeng period (from 1078) reported there 9 iron coin mints, 3 in sichuan , 6 in shaanxi, producing on million strings year. thereafter, output declined gradually.

emperor tai zu (960–76)

song yuan tong bao. (chinese: 宋元通寶; pinyin: sòng yuán tōng bǎo). written in li script. inscription based on kai yuan coin. has nominal weight of 1 qian. various dots , crescents found on reverse. first cast in 960 , until end of tai zu s reign. casting of iron coins started @ baizhangxian, yazhou, in sichuan, 970. ten furnaces cast 9,000 strings year.

emperor tai zong (976–97)

tai ping tong bao (chinese: 太平通寶; pinyin: tài píng tōng bǎo) (976–989). written in li script. various dots , crescents found on reverse. there iron coins. small iron coins come sichuan , 10 equivalent 1 bronze coin. large iron coin have large dot above on reverse. coin cast @ jianzhou, fujian in 983, , intended equivalent 3 bronze coins.

no coins issued yong xi , duan gong period titles (984–89).

chun hua yuan bao (chinese: 淳化元寶; pinyin: chún huà yuánbǎo) (990–94). written in regular, running, , grass script. there small , large iron coins. have nominal value of 10. in 991, 20,000 iron coins needed in market 1 roll of silk. permission requested alter casting value ten coins in imperial script pattern. in 1 year 3,000 strings cast. not considered convenient, casting stopped.
zhi dao yuan bao (chinese: 至道元寶; pinyin: zhì dào yuánbǎo) (995–97). written in regular, running, , grass script. during reign there increase in number of mints in operation. inscriptions written emperor tai zong himself, noted scholar , calligrapher. weight of 2,400 small coins set @ 15 jin, 1 weighed 1 qian.

emperor zhen zong (998–1022)

xian ping yuan bao (chinese: 咸平元寶; pinyin: xián píng yuánbǎo) (998–1003). written in regular script. found in both bronze , iron.
jing de yuan bao (chinese: 景德元寶; pinyin: jǐng dé yuánbǎo) (1004–07). written in regular script. made of bronze; iron value two; or iron value ten. large iron coins minted @ jiazhou , qiongzhou in sichuan in 1005. weighed 4 qian each.
xiang fu yuan bao (chinese: 祥符元寶; pinyin: xiáng fú yuánbǎo) (1008–16). written in regular script. made of bronze or iron. come in medium size , large sizes. large iron coins cast 1014 1016 in yizhou, sichuan. nominal value 10 cash , weight 3.2 qian.
xiang fu tong bao (chinese: 祥符通寶; pinyin: xiáng fú tōng bǎo) (1008–16). written in regular script.
tian xi tong bao (chinese: 天禧通寶; pinyin: tiān xǐ tōng bǎo) (1017–22). written in regular script. made of bronze or iron. @ time, there copper coin mints @ yongping in jiangxi, yongfeng in anhui, kuangning in fujian, fengguo in shanxi, , in capital. there 3 iron coin mints in sichuan.

no coins produced qian xing period title, lasted 1 year, 1022.

emperor ren zong (1022–63)

tian sheng yuan bao (chinese: 天聖元寶; pinyin: tiān shèng yuánbǎo) (1023–31). written in seal, regular , li script.
ming dao yuan bao (chinese: 明道元寶; pinyin: míngdào yuánbǎo) (1032–33). written in seal , regular script. there iron coins inscription.
jing yuan bao (chinese: 景祐元寶; pinyin: jǐng yòu yuánbǎo) (1034–38). written in seal , regular script. there both small , large iron coins.
huang song tong bao (chinese: 皇宋通寶; pinyin: huáng sòng tōng bǎo) (1039–54) use seal , regular script, , have many variations. made of iron , have 2 forms either small or large characters. small character iron coins associated casting in shaanxi , shanxi in qing li period (from 1044). large character iron coins associated sichuan mints.

the histories huang song coin cast in baoyuan 2 – 1039. rather common, , there no bronze small cash next 3 periods, appears have been issued longer 1 year.

kang ding yuan bao (chinese: 康定元寶; pinyin: kāngdìng yuánbǎo) (1040). written in li script. made of iron , come in both small , medium sizes.
qing li zhong bao (chinese: 慶歷重寶; pinyin: qìnglì zhòng bǎo) (1041–48). written in regular script. there 2 forms: large bronze coins , large iron coins.

the qing li large bronze coins, intended worth 10 cash, cast in jiangnan fund war western xia. iron coins cast in shanxi , other prefectures. large coins caused prices leap , both public , private interests suffered. in 1048, large iron coins devalued 3 iron cash.

zhi yuan bao (chinese: 至和元寶; pinyin: zhì hé yuánbǎo) (1054–55). written in seal, regular, , li script.
zhi tong bao (chinese: 至和通寶; pinyin: zhì hé tōng bǎo) (1054–55). written in seal, regular, , li script.
jia yuan bao (chinese: 嘉祐元寶; pinyin: jiā yòu yuánbǎo) (1056–63). written in seal, regular, , li script.




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