新莽錢為西漢末年到新朝時期王莽幣制改革所發(fā)行的一系列貨幣。王莽在位期間共進(jìn)行了四次貨幣改革,這位改革家改革速度之快,實施態(tài)度之嚴(yán)肅徹底,令人嘆為觀止。
王莽當(dāng)政后,為了削弱漢朝舊族勢力,以及對百姓的財富掠奪,他以“托古改制”為名進(jìn)行了一系列的幣制改革。刀幣和布幣都在改革中恢復(fù),但從形態(tài)上與春秋戰(zhàn)國時的并不相同。由于幣制復(fù)雜混亂,導(dǎo)致民間交易很不順暢。并且每次改制的錢幣大小不斷縮小,價卻越來越高,實質(zhì)上剝削了普通民眾的財富。幣制改革的失敗也是新朝迅速滅亡的原因之一。
盡管王莽的改革是失敗的,但他所發(fā)行的一系列錢幣卻是古錢史上的精品。貨幣多采用懸針篆的字體,制作十分精美。史籍失載的國寶金匱直萬是價值最高的古錢之一,存世極少。2006年西安還曾出土過國珍金匱五千等西漢末期及新朝的貨幣。據(jù)考證,這兩種幣均可能為西漢居攝二年(公元7年)第一次貨幣改革時的產(chǎn)物,未流通,屬試鑄品。[2]
布泉也是史籍失載的新朝貨幣。有學(xué)者認(rèn)為其非貨幣,而是《漢書·卷九十九中·王莽傳第六十九中》中所說的“始建國二年……吏民出入,持布錢以副符傳,不持者,廚傳勿舍,關(guān)津苛留。公卿皆持以入宮殿門,欲以重而行之。”但也有學(xué)者根據(jù)現(xiàn)存錢范等證據(jù)認(rèn)為,布泉實屬貨幣,且流通過,是與第四次貨幣改革時發(fā)行的貨泉同時流通的。而上述《漢書·王莽傳》中所說者為大布黃千。還有學(xué)者認(rèn)為,布泉是王莽于第四次貨幣改革后,又嘗試進(jìn)一步收縮之前的改革措施,將貨布、貨泉二品改為布泉一品,逐步暗地推行。其鑄造時間應(yīng)為地皇元年至王莽死亡之間。
Xinmang money is a series of currencies issued by the reform of Wang Mang's currency system from the late Western Han Dynasty to the New Dynasty.Wang Mang carried out four currency reforms during his reign. The speed of his reforms and the seriousness and thoroughness with which he carried them out are astonishing.
After Wang Mang came to power, he carried out a series of currency system reforms in the name of "Tuogu Reform" in order to weaken the power of the old tribes in the Han Dynasty and plunder the wealth of the common people.Both the knife coin and the cloth coin were recovered during the reform, but they were not the same as those in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.Because the currency system is complicated and chaotic, the folk transaction is not smooth.And each time the size of the coin is shrinking, but the price is higher and higher, essentially exploiting the wealth of ordinary people.The failure of currency reform also contributed to the rapid demise of the new dynasty.
Although Wang Mang's reform was a failure, the series of coins he issued were the finest in the history of ancient coins.The currency mostly uses the cantsuzhuan font, which is very exquisite.Lost in the history of the national treasure, golden or straight ten thousand is one of the highest value of ancient money, very few in the world.In 2006, the coins of the late Western Han Dynasty and the new dynasty, such as the national treasure, golden or "priceless", were unearthed in Xi 'an.According to textual research, these two kinds of coins may be the Western Han Dynasty in the second year of the first monetary reform (AD 7) products, did not circulate, is a trial cast.[2]
Buquan is also a lost historical record of the new dynasty currency.Some scholars believe that it is not currency, but the "Hanshu · Book of ninety-nine · Wang Mang Biography of the sixty-ninth" said that "the second year of the founding of the state......Officials in and out of the people, with cloth money to vice - run, do not hold, kitchen pass not to give up, Guan Jin Caoleave.Duke all hold to enter the palace door, and want to do it."However, some scholars, based on the existing evidence such as Qian Fan, believed that Buquan was actually currency and circulated at the same time as the Huoquan issued during the Fourth Monetary Reform.In the above-mentioned Biography of Wang Mang in the Book of Han, the person mentioned is Dabu Huang Qian.Some scholars believe that Buquan was a reform measure taken by Wang Mang after the fourth monetary reform and before he tried to further shrink it. He changed the two products of Huo Bu and Huo Quan into Buquan one product and gradually carried out the reform secretly.The casting time should be between the first year of the emperor and the death of Wang Mang.
王莽于公元7至14年間,先后進(jìn)行了四次幣制改革。先鑄大值刀幣遭反,進(jìn)而復(fù)古改制。行用“五物”(金、銀、銅、龜、貝)、“六名”(黃金、銀貨、龜幣、貝幣、布、泉)計二十八品。由于貨幣“複雜難辨,天下騷動”而告終。以后又連續(xù)兩次幣制改革,為后世留下了一刀平五千(錯刀)、契刀五百、“六泉”、“十布”、布泉、貨泉、貨布、國寶金匱直萬等種類繁多、式樣新穎、鑄造精良、藝術(shù)絕倫的歷史遺產(chǎn)。中國書法藝術(shù)分篆、隸、楷、行、草五大類。自李斯受秦始皇書同文之命創(chuàng)小篆以來,貨幣上的文字多以小篆為主。莽錢上的書法藝術(shù),在傳統(tǒng)篆字書寫的基礎(chǔ)上,加以發(fā)展變化,融錢文書法線篆、懸針篆和長腳篆為一體,呈現(xiàn)出精美絕倫的藝術(shù)特色。橫若巨木托殿,鋼柱擋道,氣勢逼人;曲似驚鴻飛蹄,自由舒展,流暢自然;豎如高山瀑布,一瀉千里,勢不可擋,又像鐵線懸空,遒勁挺拔,堅不可摧。縱覽諸錢錢文書法,清秀而無柔弱之感,奔放而有內(nèi)斂之氣。其線條之流暢,力度之勁健,形體之優(yōu)美,結(jié)構(gòu)布白之均衡,疏密之有緻,書法精髓俱現(xiàn),是其他貨幣文字難望其項背的。
Wang Mang carried out four reforms of the currency system from 7 to 14 AD.First cast large value knife coin was reversed, and then retro reform.The bank used "five things" (gold, silver, copper, turtle, shellfish) and "six" (gold, silver goods, turtle coin, shellfish coin, cloth, spring) to count twenty-eight articles.It ended with currency being "complicated and chaotic".After the two successive monetary system reforms, it left a historical heritage of five thousand Yidao Ping (wrong Dao), five hundred Qi Dao, "Six Quan", "Ten Bu", "Buquan", "Huquan", "Hubu", "National Treasure," Jinjihui ", etc., which are diverse in variety, novel in style, excellent in casting, and unpeerless in art.Chinese calligraphy art is divided into five categories: seal script, scribe, regular script, line and grass.Since Li Si was ordered by Emperor Qin Shihuang to create xiao zhuan, the characters on the currency are mainly xiao zhuan.Mang money on the calligraphy art, on the basis of the traditional seal writing, to develop and change, the money document normal seal seal, seal seal and long foot seal seal as one, showing exquisite artistic characteristics.Cross if the giant wooden temple, steel column block the way, threatening momentum;Qu like Jing Hong flying hoof, free stretch, smooth and natural;Vertical as mountains and waterfalls, a thousand miles, unstoppable, and like wire hanging in the air, the vigorous and straight, indestructible.Overview of the Qian Qian calligraphy, delicate and not weak sense, bold and restrained gas.Its smooth lines, dynamic strength, beautiful form, balanced structure of white cloth, density, the essence of calligraphy, is unmatched by other currency characters.
