An Ex-Gate Tax Silver
in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276 AD)

Stephen Tai
Apr.11, 1998

Dimension: 121 (L) x 48 (W) x 17 (H) mm
Weight: 972 g (25 taels)
The Upper 2 inscriptions:
- Zen Nie Er Ju Jiu, which means The genuine silver which is gathered with the assistance of Nie Er [the name of silversmith]
- A monogram unknown.

The lower 2 inscriptions: Chu Men Shuei, which means Ex-Gate Tax

Ex-Gate Tax had been widely levied in the period of Southern Song dynasty. (Please refer to An Ex-Gate Tax Silver). The silver cast on such account, were almost weighed in 25 taels.
Those Ex-Gate Tax silver were cast by then silversmiths, instructed by the competent officials. However, as historical records shown, such tax were collected from the passengers passing through city gates, and the tax payments were in cash coins, not silver.
The upper 2 inscriptions of the shown silver, have indicated a reasonable explanation of how were the taxed cash coins transformed into silver. It was possible that the gate-keeping officials who paid the taxed cash coins to silversmiths in the first place, also requested the silversmiths to exchange the cash coins into silver and cast them in an uniformed shape with 25 taels of weight. That is why the inscriptions mentioned the silver was gathered with the assistance of silversmith Nei Er.

A Silver Sycee Review

An Ex-Gate Tax Silver in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276 AD)

An Ex-Gate Tax Silver
in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276 AD)