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1 Cash - Anonymous Kaiyuan Tongbao, Run
| 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 |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Hartill#14.81, Schjoth#393 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is largely plain, featuring the central square hole surrounded by a raised square rim. A single mint identifier character 潤 (Run), rendered in regular script (kaishu), appears to the upper right of the square hole, identifying the issuing mint as Runzhou. The field is otherwise unadorned. The coin displays heavy green and blue-green patination across the reverse surface, indicating prolonged burial or extended circulation. |
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| Reverse lettering | 潤 (Translation: Run - indicating Runzhou mint) |
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| Additional information |
The "Run" mint mark — cast beneath the square hole — identifies this Kaiyuan Tongbao as a product of Runzhou, modern Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province. These late Tang issues are termed "anonymous" because the central government had effectively lost control of provincial minting by the mid-ninth century; local authorities cast their own coin without imperial oversight, resulting in the considerable variation in module and alloy quality that collectors still encounter today. The Huang Chao rebellion of 875–884 devastated the Jiangnan economy and disrupted mint operations across the region.