Coin inscribed “Chong Ning Tong Bao”

The characters on this coin exhibit Emperor Huizong's distinctive calligraphic style, known as "slender gold" because it resembled finely spun filaments of the precious metal. Huizong made an effort to present himself as a man of cultivated tastes through various means. His writings were often carved in stone or metal, as here, and circulated widely among the public.

Credit: Gift of James C. Y. Watt, 2013