品类：银锭

尺寸：长6.5CM，高2.5CM，重：138.6g

学名：唐记款银锭

在清代银锭收藏领域，官方铸造的 “官锭”（如户部、各省藩库锭）常因铭文规整、历史属性明确受关注，而民间商铸银锭中，带有清晰商号标记的 “私锭”，则因承载着地方商业脉络、工艺风格鲜活，成为研究清代民间经济、货币流通的重要实物。其中，唐记款银锭以其铭文信息丰富、铸造工艺精湛、存世量相对稀少，成为清代中晚期民间商铸银锭的代表性品种，更是收藏市场中兼具 “历史叙事性” 与 “稀缺性” 的精品之选。

一、历史背景：清代民间商铸银锭的 “商号印记”

唐记款银锭的铸造，与清代民间商业货币体系的发展密不可分。清代中后期，随着商品经济繁荣，晋商、徽商、陕商等商帮崛起，跨区域贸易频繁，而白银作为主要流通货币，需通过民间银炉（俗称 “银号”“炉房”）熔铸为锭，方便计量与运输。“唐记” 便是当时活跃于北方（推测为山西、陕西或河北一带，因该区域出土唐记款银锭数量最多）的民间银号，主营白银熔铸、货币兑换业务，其铸造的银锭主要用于商铺间货款结算、商帮资金周转，部分也作为赋税 “火耗” 补充，流通于民间与地方官府之间。

值得注意的是，清代民间银号铸造银锭需遵循 “成色达标、重量规范” 的原则，“唐记” 作为区域性知名商号，其银锭因成色稳定（多为 “纹银” 成色，含银量约 95%-98%）、重量标准（常见 5 两、10 两、20 两规格），在当时局部区域内具有较高信誉，流通范围远超小型银号所铸银锭。而随着清末机制银元普及、民国初年银锭退出流通，大量民间银锭或被熔铸为银元，或因战乱遗失，唐记款银锭留存至今者已属难得。

二、形制与铭文：民间商铸银锭的 “信息密码”

唐记款银锭虽为民间铸造，却在形制与铭文上展现出鲜明的时代特征与商号风格，其细节处处体现 “实用” 与 “标识” 的双重需求：

形制：地域工艺的鲜活体现

唐记款银锭为清代民间的 “元宝形”（又称 “马蹄锭”），与官锭的 “规整划一” 不同，唐记款银锭的形制带有细微的手工痕迹：如锭身边缘的 “飞边”（铸造时溢出的银液冷却后形成）长短不一，两端翘度略有差异，却恰恰反映了民间银炉 “手工熔铸” 的鲜活感，而非官锭的机械化模具生产，更具工艺辨识度。

铭文：商号、重量与信誉的直接标注

唐记款银锭的核心价值之一，在于其清晰且信息完整的铭文，这也是区别于普通无款私锭的关键。铭文多以 “錾刻” 或 “模压” 方式呈现，内容可分为三类：

商号标识：最核心的 “唐记” 二字，字体多为楷书，笔力浑厚，部分银锭会在 “唐记” 前加地域前缀（如 “晋唐记”“陕唐记”），明确银号所在地域，此类带地域前缀的铭文存世更少，历史研究价值更高；

成色或工匠标记：少数精品银锭会额外錾刻 “足纹”“纹银”（标注成色）或工匠姓氏（如 “唐记・李”），进一步强化信誉背书。

铭文 “唐记” 字体间距匀称，錾刻深度一致，无后期修改痕迹，是唐记款银锭中铭文保存完好的精品范例。

三、存世稀缺性与收藏价值：民间银锭中的 “潜力品种”

唐记款银锭之所以能成为清代民间商铸银锭的精品，核心在于其 “存世量稀少” 与 “价值多元”：

存世稀缺：民间银锭的 “幸存者”

清代民间银锭的存世量本就远低于官锭，而唐记款银锭的稀缺性更源于两点：一是 “商号存续期短”，根据目前出土与拍卖记录，唐记银号活跃于清代道光至光绪年间（约 1821-1908 年），仅百余年历史，且未形成全国性连锁银号，铸造总量有限；二是 “后期损耗大”，清末民初银锭熔铸风潮中，大量民间私锭因无 “官锭” 的历史标识，被优先熔铸为银元或银条，导致唐记款银锭留存至今者多为 “极美品” 或 “近未使用品”，品相普通者已难觅踪迹。

据《中国历代银锭收藏与投资》统计，近十年国内主流钱币拍卖会（诚轩、泓盛、保利）上，唐记款银锭年均上拍量不足 5 枚，远少于常见的 “裕泰银号”“大德通” 等知名商帮银锭，稀缺性可见一斑。

收藏价值：历史、工艺与市场的三重优势

对于银锭收藏爱好者而言，唐记款银锭的价值不仅在于 “稀缺”，更在于其不可替代的多元属性：

历史价值：作为清代民间商帮经济的实物，唐记款银锭的铭文（尤其是带地域前缀的版本）可佐证当时北方地区的商业网络，如 “晋唐记” 锭可关联晋商的白银流通路径，为研究区域经济史提供一手资料，弥补文献记载的不足；

工艺价值：“自然飞边”，以及錾刻铭文的书法风格，展现了清代民间银炉工匠的技艺水平，与官锭的 “标准化工艺” 形成对比，更具人文温度；

市场价值：近年来，清代民间精品私锭的市场价格稳步上涨，唐记款银锭因存世少、辨识度高，成为藏家追捧的 “潜力品种”。

唐记款银锭虽非清代银锭中的 “顶级官锭”，却以其鲜明的民间商业属性、清晰的历史印记、稀少的存世量，成为清代民间商铸银锭的 “精品标杆”。对于追求 “小众稀缺、兼具历史与工艺价值” 的藏家而言，它不仅是一枚承载财富的银锭，更是一段清代民间商业史的 “微型档案”，收藏潜力与文化价值兼备，值得纳入核心收藏体系。

In the field of collecting Qing Dynasty silver ingots,official ingots (e.g., those minted by the Ministry of Revenue or provincial treasuries) have always attracted attention due to their neat inscriptions and clear historical attributes. Among privately minted silver ingots (cast by commercial entities), however, those bearing distinct merchant house marks are regarded as crucial material evidence for studying the Qing Dynasty’s private economy and currency circulation—thanks to their ability to reflect local commercial networks and their vivid craftsmanship styles. Among these private ingots,Tangji-stamped silver ingots stand out as representative examples of high-quality privately minted silver ingots from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. With their informative inscriptions, exquisite casting techniques, and relative rarity, they are also recognized as premium collectibles in the market that combine "historical narrative value" and "scarcity value."

I. Historical Background: The "Merchant House Mark" on Privately Minted Qing Dynasty Silver Ingots

The minting of Tangji-stamped silver ingots was closely linked to the development of the private commercial currency system in the Qing Dynasty. During the mid-to-late Qing period, as the commodity economy flourished, merchant groups such as the Shanxi, Huizhou, and Shaanxi merchants rose to prominence, driving frequent cross-regional trade. Since silver served as the primary currency in circulation, it needed to be melted and cast into ingots by private silver furnaces (commonly known as "silver shops" or "furnace houses") for easier measurement and transportation.

"Tangji" was a private silver shop active in northern China at the time—speculated to be in areas such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, or Hebei provinces, as the majority of unearthed Tangji-stamped ingots have been found there. Its main businesses included silver melting/casting and currency exchange. The silver ingots it produced were primarily used for settling inter-shop payments and facilitating fund turnover among merchant groups; some were also used as supplementary "melting losses" (a fee for converting silver into standard ingots) for tax payments, circulating both among private entities and local government offices.

Notably, private silver shops in the Qing Dynasty were required to adhere to the principles of "standard silver purity" and "regulated weight" when casting ingots. As a well-known regional merchant house, Tangji’s ingots gained high credibility in local areas due to their stable purity (mostly "Wen Silver" grade, with a silver content of approximately 95%-98%) and standardized weights (common specifications included 5 taels, 10 taels, and 20 taels). Their circulation scope far exceeded that of ingots cast by small-scale silver shops. However, with the popularization of machine-made silver dollars in the late Qing Dynasty and the withdrawal of silver ingots from circulation in the early Republic of China, a large number of private silver ingots were either melted down into silver dollars or lost due to wars. As a result, Tangji-stamped silver ingots that have survived to this day are extremely rare.

II. Shape and Inscriptions: The "Information Code" of Privately Minted Silver Ingots

Although Tangji-stamped silver ingots were privately cast, their shape and inscriptions exhibit distinct era characteristics and the unique style of the Tangji merchant house. Every detail reflects the dual needs of "practicality" and "identification":

Shape: A Vivid Reflection of Regional Craftsmanship

Tangji-stamped silver ingots adopted the "yuanbao shape" (also known as "horseshoe ingots")—a style common in private Qing Dynasty silver ingots. Unlike the "uniform standardization" of official ingots, Tangji-stamped ingots bear subtle traces of handcrafting: for example, the "flash" (formed by the cooling of excess silver liquid during casting) along the edges of the ingots varies in length, and the upward curvature of the two ends differs slightly. These details, however, precisely highlight the "hand-melted and cast" vitality of private silver furnaces—distinguishing them from the machine-molded uniformity of official ingots and giving them unique craftsmanship recognition.

Inscriptions: Direct Markers of Merchant House Identity, Weight, and Credibility

One of the core values of Tangji-stamped silver ingots lies in their clear and comprehensive inscriptions, which also distinguish them from ordinary unmarked private ingots. The inscriptions are mostly created through "chiseling" or "stamping" and can be categorized into three types:

1. Merchant House Mark: The most core element is the two characters "Tangji," usually written in a bold, forceful regular script. On some ingots, regional prefixes (e.g., "Jin Tangji" for Shanxi, "Shaanxi Tangji" for Shaanxi) are added before "Tangji" to specify the silver shop’s location. Ingots with such regional prefixes are even rarer and hold higher historical research value.

1. Purity or Craftsman Mark: A small number of high-quality ingots are additionally chiseled with marks such as "Zuwen" (full purity) or "Wenyin" (Wen Silver grade) to indicate silver purity, or with the craftsman’s surname (e.g., "Tangji · Li") to further strengthen credibility.

The characters "Tangji" in the inscriptions are evenly spaced, chiseled to a consistent depth, and free of post-modification traces—representing well-preserved examples of inscriptions on Tangji-stamped silver ingots.

III. Survival Rarity and Collection Value: A "Potential Variety" Among Private Silver Ingots

Tangji-stamped silver ingots have become premium examples of privately minted Qing Dynasty silver ingots, primarily due to their "rarity in survival" and "diversified value":

Rarity in Survival: "Survivors" Among Private Silver Ingots

The number of surviving private Qing Dynasty silver ingots is already far lower than that of official ingots, and the rarity of Tangji-stamped ingots stems from two additional factors:

First, the "short existence of the merchant house": According to current unearthed relics and auction records, the Tangji silver shop was active only from the Daoguang to Guangxu eras of the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1821-1908)—a history of merely over a century. It also failed to develop into a national chain, resulting in a limited total casting volume.

Second, "severe post-period losses": During the late Qing to early Republic of China period, when silver ingots were widely melted down, a large number of private ingots (lacking the historical markers of official ingots) were prioritized for melting into silver dollars or bars. As a result, most surviving Tangji-stamped ingots are graded as "extremely fine" or "about uncirculated," while those in ordinary condition are nearly impossible to find.

According to statistics from Collection and Investment of Silver Ingots in Chinese History, fewer than 5 Tangji-stamped silver ingots have been auctioned annually in major domestic numismatic auctions (e.g., Chengxuan, Hongsheng, Poly) over the past decade—far fewer than well-known merchant group ingots such as "Yutai Silver Shop" or "Dedetong." This scarcity is evident.

Collection Value: Triple Advantages in History, Craftsmanship, and Market

For silver ingot collectors, the value of Tangji-stamped silver ingots lies not only in their rarity but also in their irreplaceable diversified attributes:

1. Historical Value: As material evidence of the private merchant group economy in the Qing Dynasty, the inscriptions on Tangji-stamped ingots (especially those with regional prefixes) can verify the commercial networks of northern China at that time. For example, "Jin Tangji" ingots can be linked to the silver circulation routes of Shanxi merchants, providing first-hand materials for studying regional economic history and supplementing gaps in written records.

1. Craftsmanship Value: Features such as "natural flash" and the calligraphic style of chiseled inscriptions demonstrate the technical skills of private silver furnace craftsmen in the Qing Dynasty. Compared with the "standardized craftsmanship" of official ingots, these details carry a warmer humanistic touch.

1. Market Value: In recent years, the market prices of high-quality private Qing Dynasty silver ingots have been steadily rising. Due to their rarity and high recognition, Tangji-stamped silver ingots have become a "potential variety" sought after by collectors.

Although Tangji-stamped silver ingots are not "top-tier official ingots" of the Qing Dynasty, they have become a "quality benchmark" for privately minted Qing Dynasty silver ingots, thanks to their distinct private commercial attributes, clear historical marks, and rare survival quantity. For collectors pursuing "niche rarity with both historical and craftsmanship value," Tangji-stamped silver ingots are not merely wealth-bearing silver objects—they are "micro-archives" of private commercial history in the Qing Dynasty. Combining both collection potential and cultural value, they are well worth including in core collections.