1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao, northern type, Bing

The Ministry of War Mint — the 兵部局 — was established specifically to fund military operations during the catastrophic final years of the Wanli and Chongzhen reigns, when the Ming treasury was effectively bankrupt from simultaneous pressure by Manchu forces in the north and the rebel armies of Li Zicheng from within. The "Bing" (兵) reverse mark directly identifies this mint's military funding mandate, distinguishing its output from the dozen or more other workshops striking Chongzhen Tongbao simultaneously.

Brass rather than bronze indicates a deliberate material substitution as copper supplies became contested — a small metallurgical detail that speaks to the supply chain collapse of the 1630s and 1640s.