Note to buyers
Dear customers
– if you’d like to purchase multiple items in one order, please let us know via
message and we will combine postage and refund you any surplus shipping fee (if
any, depending on the total weight of the package).
International
buyers – please note: Import duties, taxes, and charges aren't included in the
item price or postage cost. Please check with your country's customs office to
determine whether these additional costs will be applicable prior to buying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaiyuan Tongbao is a type of copper currency that was minted during the Tang Dynasty. It was the first coinage to bear the name "Tongbao" in the Tang Dynasty. In the early Tang Dynasty, the Sui Wuzhu coins were used but they were small, light, and mixed up. In the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign (621 AD) during the Wude era, in order to standardize the chaotic currency system, the Sui coins were abolished and the strict standard of the Western Han Dynasty's Wuzhu coins were adopted, and the Kaiyuan Tongbao was minted to replace the remaining Wuzhu coins in circulation.
According to the "Food and Currency Records" in the Old Book of Tang, "Emperor Gaozu continued to use the Sui Wuzhu coins. In July of the fourth year of the Wude era (621 AD), the Wuzhu coins were abolished, and the Kaiyuan Tongbao was issued. It had a diameter of eight fen, weighed two zhu and four liang, and ten coins were worth one liang. One thousand coins weighed six jin and four liang." The calligrapher Ouyang Xun wrote the inscription on the coin, which reads "Kaiyuan Tongbao," and the coin's shape followed that of the Qin Dynasty's square hole round coin。
Bronze Kaiyuan Tongbao is a relatively common type of Kaiyuan Tongbao. Due to its distant age, there are many unearthed coins, so most of them are rusted and heavily worn. In the early Tang Dynasty, the outer rim was relatively thin, but from the middle Tang Dynasty onwards, the outer rim became wider and thicker. Generally, the inner rim of Kaiyuan Tongbao is relatively thin and round, and the casting is square. The inscriptions on the coin are in the Li script and read "Kaiyuan Tongbao" directly. The character "Tong" has a unique feature with a "Yong" radical, combining the characteristics of seal script.
开元通宝是唐高祖武德四年七月十日，即公元621年8月2日，铸行的一种货币，是唐代流行时间最长，最重要的流通货币。币面钱文上下右左直读为“开元通宝”，上右下左回旋读为“开通元宝”。
“开元”意为开辟新纪元。“开元通宝”的铸行，取代了中国历史上从西汉至唐朝流通739年时间的五铢钱，也结束中国古货钱币自秦国铸行的“一两钱”以重量为钱文的957年历史，在中国货币史上是一种重大的改革，使中国货币从记重的“銖两制”演进到按数记值的货币制度，钱币不再以重量为名称，而以“通宝”、“元宝”或“重宝”命名的年号、国号钱。“开元通宝”影响了中国此后的钱币的形制、钱文模式和十进位衡法，并沿袭了约1300年之久至中华民国的「民国通宝」。
武德四年七月十日。废五铢钱。行开元通宝钱。径八分。重二铢四絫。十文重一两。一千文重六斤四两。以轻重大小。最为折衷。远近甚便之。其钱文。给事中欧阳询制词及书。时称其工。其字含八分及篆隶三体。其词先上后下。次左后右。读之自上及左。回环读之。其义亦通。流俗谓之开元通宝钱。郑虔《会稡》云：“询初进蜡样。自文德皇后掏一甲迹。故钱上有掏文。十八日。置钱监于洛并幽益等诸州。秦王齐王赐三炉铸钱。裴寂赐一炉。敢有盗铸者。身死。家口籍没。《唐会要·卷八十九》