During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, society was divided and turbulent. The vassal States dominate the world, all want to compete for the world, and they beat drums to cast their own coins. As a result, there are different monetary standards, different materials, various varieties and names, and uneven casters. During this period, the amount of money minted by countries was scarce, and there were many records in history books. How many kinds of money there were in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period is still a mystery. At present, people's collections of coins of five dynasties and ten countries are all inferred by combining physical objects and historical materials.
A few years ago, in an antique market, the author found a rare ancient coin "Fengli Bao Tong" among a batch of unearthed ancient coins bought by an antique dealer. This money is a soil pit, with a diameter of 22 mm, a diameter of 4.5 mm and a weight of 3.7 grams. It is dark red in copper, brown and black in patina, rusty and rooted, and it is the voice of the earth. Qian Wen's original, with the style of official seal, is clumsy, and Qian Wen is connected with the inner profile, so the casting process is not refined.
"Phoenix Calendar" was the title of Zhu in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and Zhu was the son of Zhu Wen, the great ancestor of the Back Beam. Zhu Wen has many concubines and several children. He is grumpy and suspicious. Although Zhu was the eldest son, his mother fell out of favor and worried about imperial power. In June of the second year of Ganhua, he killed his father and proclaimed himself emperor. The title of "Phoenix Calendar" means changing dynasties and establishing a new dynasty. When Zhu Wen was in power, he made "Kaiping Yuanbao" and "Kaiping Bao Tong", which are unique in the world. It is natural that Zhu won the throne, in order to quickly establish his prestige and expand his influence, he can't wait to cast his annual money.
The Kaiping title Bao Wen Qian Shi, cast by Zhu Wen in power, is rare, and there have been many disputes about its authenticity in numerology circles. The discovery of "Fengli Bao Tong" coins not only confirmed the existence of "Kaiping Yuanbao" coins, but also showed the inheritance of this historical evolution.
Sadly, Zhu's time in power is too short. He was killed by his half-brother Zhu Youzhen in February of three years, and he was in office for only eight months. Really a passer-by in history. This shows the chaotic situation of father and son, brothers and compatriots vying for fame and fortune, turning against each other and killing each other. In this short period of eight months, you can imagine how much money Zhu Neng has invested. Soon after the furnace was opened, it was declared extinct, and several strange coins were immediately lost in the dust of historical turmoil.
The discovery of "Li Feng Bao Tong" coins provided new materials for studying the social evolution, economy and culture of Liang in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.