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1 Cash - Anonymous Kaiyuan Tongbao, iron
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 732-907 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Iron |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse featuring a central square perforation with a raised inner rim and smooth, unadorned field throughout. A raised outer rim runs along the coin's circumference. The surface shows the characteristic texture of iron casting with no inscriptions, symbols, or decorative elements. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Kaiyuan Tongbao series, launched in 621 under Tang Taizong's predecessor Gaozu, became the template for Chinese cash coinage for the next twelve centuries — its format so dominant that subsequent dynasties largely abandoned naming coins after reign periods for generations. Iron-cast examples proliferated during the mid-to-late Tang as copper shortages, driven by Buddhist temple bell-casting and an insatiable demand for bronze vessels, pushed provincial mints to substitute cheaper metals. These iron issues circulated primarily in inland and northern regions where copper coin supply was tightest.
Hartill 14.10 specimens are notably prone to corrosion, and heavily encrusted survivors are the rule rather than the exception.