古代翻砂铸钱首先要手工刻成铜样（或锡样，铅样等），称为雕母，以供当局审查挑选。而流传至今者，皆成珍品，若清雍正之前的雕母钱均属凤毛麟角。明代的铜雕母钱以前仅发现两枚。一枚是万历通宝小平雕母，那是泉界前辈张公午先生在一大串普通钱中发现的。他的叔叔，古钱收藏家张季量先生见了后竟爱不释手，甚至临睡前还要看上几眼。
In ancient times, the first thing to do was to carve copper samples (or tin samples, lead samples, etc.) by hand, which were called sculptors for the authorities to examine and select. Those handed down to this day are all treasures. If the money of the sculptor before Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty were rare. Only two copper coins were found in Ming Dynasty. One is the carving mother of Xiaoping, a treasure of Wanli Tongbao, which was found by Mr. Zhang Gongwu, a senior in spring circle, in a large amount of ordinary money. His uncle, Mr. Zhang Jiliang, an ancient money collector, couldn't help but look at it after seeing it, even before he went to bed.
另一枚是罗伯昭先生于生前捐献给中国历史博物馆的崇祯通宝小平背上星雕母，为马定祥先生坚定。据解放前出版的泉币杂志第三十二期《崇祯雕母》一文所载：“此品崇祯阔缘大样，背上星，曩年得于川友李修己，沐园（即罗伯昭先生）爱其精美，初未加重视也，嗣见觉庵（即张季量先生）之万历，乃于明钱中选出此品，涤其尘垢，则雕痕宛然，以示定祥（即马定祥先生），赞赏不已。”
The other one is the star carving mother on the back of Xiao Ping, a general treasure of Chongzhen donated by Mr. robozhao to the Chinese History Museum, which is firm for Mr. Ma Dingxiang. According to the article "sculptor Chongzhen" published in the thirty second issue of spring coin magazine before the liberation, "this product has a wide margin and a star on its back. In the past year, it was obtained from Li Xiuji, a friend of Sichuan Province. Muyuan (i.e. Mr. robozhao) loved its delicacy. At the beginning, he didn't pay much attention to it. Then, in the Wanli of Jue'an (i.e. Mr. Zhang Jiliang), this product was selected from the money of Ming Dynasty to clean up its dust and dirt, and the carving marks were just like a picture, to show that Dingxiang (i.e Mr. Ma Dingxiang), I appreciate it very much. "