Antique Chinese bronze coin of Ming Dynasty 天启通宝 1621

Description: To avoid ambiguity, in the photo with the ruler, the top of the ruler is in foot while the bottom is in centimeter.为避免误解，在有尺子的照片中，尺子的上半部分单位是英尺的下半部分单位是厘米的。 Intro of the coin and its source (both in English and Chinese) 关于该古币的简介及来源（先英后中）Intro of the coin/古币的简介The Tianqi Tongbao is a bronze coin minted during the reign of Emperor Tianqi (1621–1627), the 16th emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The Tianqi era marked a turbulent period in Chinese history, characterized by internal corruption, political instability, and external threats. Emperor Tianqi, whose given name was Zhu Youjiao, ascended the throne at a young age but lacked interest in governance. Instead, the real power fell into the hands of the infamous eunuch Wei Zhongxian and his faction, which led to widespread corruption and a weakening of the Ming state.Interestingly, Emperor Tianqi was a skilled carpenter and is remembered for his extraordinary craftsmanship, including building furniture and wooden artifacts himself. His dedication to carpentry was so intense that he often prioritized it over imperial duties, a rare hobby for a Chinese emperor. I would say he was almost the Chinese equivalent of Louis XVI of France, who was a skilled clockmaker.Despite the political turmoil, Tianqi Tongbao coins were cast as part of the Ming Dynasty's monetary system to maintain economic circulation. These coins feature the inscription “天启通宝” (Tianqi Tongbao) written in regular script, following the traditional round shape with a square hole in the center, symbolizing the harmony between heaven and earth. The craftsmanship of the coins reflects the continuity of Ming coinage design, although the economic instability of the era sometimes resulted in lower-quality production.The Tianqi Tongbao coins serve as a tangible reminder of a declining dynasty struggling to maintain its authority. For collectors, they are significant historical artifacts that capture a pivotal moment before the eventual fall of the Ming Dynasty. These coins offer insight into the challenges faced by late Ming China and stand as symbols of a dynasty in transition. 天启通宝是明朝第十六位皇帝天启年间（1621年—1627年）铸造的青铜钱币。天启时期是明朝历史上一个风雨飘摇的阶段，内忧外患不断，政治腐败严重。天启皇帝朱由校年少登基，但他对朝政缺乏兴趣，喜好木工手艺，实际的权力被宦官魏忠贤及其阉党掌控，导致朝廷腐化，国家逐渐衰弱。有趣的是，天启皇帝是一位技艺高超的木匠，他亲手制作家具和木制工艺品，甚至常常将木工放在朝政之上。这种对木工艺术的热爱，使他成为中国历史上少见的“木匠皇帝”。这与法国的末代的著名钟表匠国王路易十六非常相似。尽管政局动荡，天启通宝作为明朝货币体系的一部分，依然被铸造并投入流通。这些钱币沿袭了中国古代钱币的传统设计，呈圆形方孔，象征“天圆地方”，寓意天地和谐。钱币正面铸有“天启通宝”四字，字体多为楷书，工整简洁，延续了明朝钱币一贯的风格。然而，由于当时的经济衰退和管理混乱，部分钱币的铸造质量较低。天启通宝作为明朝晚期的实物见证，反映了一个王朝在内忧外患中挣扎维系的历史现实。对于收藏者而言，这枚古币具有重要的历史意义，它见证了明朝由盛转衰的关键时期，也为后世提供了了解晚明政治与经济状况的珍贵线索。Source of the coin/古币的来源 The antique coins I have mostly come from my grandpa's collection. Starting in the 1960s and 70s, he served as the village production team accountant, then as the team leader, a village official, and eventually as a town official. Later, until the end of the last century, he was the head of a public company in a town in Shandong Province. My grandpa was known for his integrity, fairness, and orderly approach to work, which earned him a great deal of respect in the community. People often came to his house seeking his help, whether to handle affairs or to mediate disputes in the village. I remember that when we visited my grandparents' house during Chinese New Year, many villagers would come to pay their respects and thank him for helping them over the past year. Regularly, people frequently visited him with gifts. He would never accept anything too valuable, and back then, antique coins were practically worth nothing. Over time, people noticed that he liked these coins, and gradually, as a token of gratitude, some would give him a few. Now retired, my grandpa still has some antique coins in his collection. He also gives some to his children and grandchildren. For example, whenever one of his grandchildren gets married or has a baby, he gifts them a few coins. My cousins and I all vividly remember how he would disappear mysteriously behind the curtain separating the living room from the bedroom whenever he wanted to gift someone coins. We could hear him rummaging through the wardrobe, and then he would emerge holding a small bundle of coins wrapped in a handkerchief. With great care, he would unfold the bundle, pick out a few coins, and solemnly hand them to the recipient. At the beginning of this century, as my grandpa gradually retired, fewer people brought him coins. No one knows exactly how many coins he has in his collection—it’s certainly not the stash of a famous collector, but there’s still a modest amount.我手里这些古钱币基本都来自我外公的收藏，从六七十年代开始担任村里的生产队会计，然后是生产队长，大队干部，后来做到乡镇里面的领导，后来一直到上世纪末都担任山东省某乡镇的一家公立企业的主要领导，因为素来在乡间秉公持正，做事有条理，威望比较高，经常有人到家里找他办事情，去做解决乡间争议的仲裁人。我记得小时候过年去外公外婆家，外婆家总时每天会来好多人，都是一些乡亲来拜会我外公，感谢他在前一年给他们帮了忙，即使不是年节也经常会有一些人来送礼，贵重的礼物他也不收，当时这些古钱币都是不值钱的，渐渐有人发现他喜欢这些，就渐渐有人为了表示感谢送一些给他。现在外公退休在家，手里还有一些收藏，也有一些给了儿孙辈，比如只要孙子辈中有人结婚或者生孩子，外公就会送一些。我跟表兄弟们都记得外公想要送古钱币的时候，就会神神秘秘地隐到隔断客厅和卧室的帘子后面，在衣橱柜子里翻腾一番，然后拿出手绢包着的一摞古钱币，托在手心里慢慢打开，取出几枚非常郑重的送给来人。本世纪初随着外公逐渐退休，渐渐没人给他送了，具体外公的收藏有多少，谁也不知道，肯定不算什么收藏大家，但也稍稍有一些。

Price: 55 USD

Location: Waltham, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-12-24T23:26:25.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD