北宋崇宁通宝折十。正面为“崇宁通宝”；反面光滑。此版别而言做工精细，原始币面。中国古钱收藏中不可或缺的一枚。北宋南迁前的倒数第二位皇帝，徽宗于1100年即位，1126年退位让贤给长子赵桓，是为钦宗。在位期间，北宋版图达致巅峰，南至大越及大理，西触吐蕃及西夏，北及辽。儘管地域广阔，徽宗并不是一名合格的统治者。他对艺术的热枕远超于管理国事。宋徽宗酷爱诗词歌赋，书法造诣更是为人称道，瘦金体便是由他所创。
CHINA. Northern Song Dynasty. 10 Cash, ND (1102-06). Hui Zong (Chong Ning). NGC Genuine.Hartill-16.401. Obverse: "Chong Ning tong bao;" Reverse: Plain. Very well produced for the issue with original surfaces. A must-have for any collector of ancient Chinese coins.The penultimate ruler of the Northern Song dynasty before its flight and reestablishment in the south, Emperor Huizong reigned for the first quarter of the 12th century, from 1100 until his abdication in favor of his eldest son, Emperor Qinzong, in 1126. During his reign, the Northern Song reached its territorial zenith, bordering the Dai Viet and Dali to the south, the Tibetans and Western Xia to the west, and the Liao to the north. In spite of possessing a vast realm, Emperor Huizong proved to be a rather ineffective ruler, spending much of his time as a patron of the arts rather than overseeing state affairs. Poetry, music, and paintings were all given great attention by the emperor, as well as something for which he was widely known-calligraphy.Throughout much of Chinese numismatics and until the very end of the end of the empire, coinage took a very formulaic approach, with much of the vast output taking the form of cast-usually in bronze-coins known as "cash." These simplistic pieces generally had square openings at the center allowing for multiples-often in groups of 100-to be strung together for ease of accounting and trade. Four characters would generally occupy the four corners of the obverse, with the reverse usually remaining blank. While these characters featured varying styles of script, Emperor Huizongs noted skills in calligraphy demanded that he offer his input and artistry. During the early portion of his reign (1102-1106), a series of mostly 10 Cash denominated issues employed his own personal calligraphic style, known as the "shòu jīn" (slender gold) script. This iconic writing was admired for its "iron strokes" and "silver hooks," presenting a forceful yet elegant overall appearance. Contemporaneous with these "slender gold" issues was a series featuring the rather ubiquitous "seal script," whereby the characters took upon a softer, far less jagged look, with many perpendicular and parallel lines. This form of script also presents a degree of elegance through its seemingly malleable approach.Despite the direction and overall stability of the Northern Song dynasty during the reign of Emperor Huizong, the cash coins from this period offer a glimpse into his desire for elegance and artistry, and an overall push toward the aesthetic. This numismatic beauty can be seen as camouflaging the political roiling which was taking place and ultimately caused the shrinking and forced moving of the Northern Song to simply the dynastys portion in the south.
