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1 Cash - Anonymous Kaiyuan Tongbao, Luo
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 841-907 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.3 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Plain field surrounding the central square perforation, with a single Chinese character 洛 (Luo) rendered in regular script (kaishu) positioned above the square hole. The character identifies the issuing mint at Luozhou and is cast in moderate relief. The reverse is otherwise unadorned, with a raised outer rim and a raised square inner rim framing the central perforation. The surface shows typical casting texture consistent with late Tang dynasty production. |
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| Reverse lettering | 洛 (Translation: Luo) |
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| Additional information |
The Kaiyuan Tongbao was introduced in 621 under Tang Emperor Gaozu and became the foundational coin type of the dynasty — struck for nearly three centuries with only modest variation. The "Luo" mint mark refers to Luozhou, one of several provincial mints activated during the latter Tang as central authority fragmented and the court lost reliable control over coin production. Issues from this period are technically anonymous in the sense that no reign title appears; the Kaiyuan inscription persisted long after the reign it named had ended, used simply because it had become the recognized currency standard.
The date range 841–907 brackets the post-Huichang suppression era through the dynasty's collapse. Mint attribution for late Tang provincial issues relies heavily on the placement and form of the mint mark relative to the square hole.