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1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao, northern type, with year
| Issuer | Board of Revenue Mint / Board of Works Mint (Ming Dynasty) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1634-1640 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation (穿) flanked by four Chinese characters in regular script (楷書), arranged in cruciform reading order: top to bottom and right to left, forming the reign title inscription 崇禎通寶 (Chongzhen Tongbao). The characters are cast in moderate relief against a flat field, with inner and outer rims framing the design. The style is characteristic of Ming dynasty northern-type cash coinage, with relatively bold, well-formed strokes. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A single Chinese character in regular script (楷書) is cast in relief above the central square perforation (穿), denoting the cyclical year designation from the traditional Chinese sexagenary calendar. The reverse field is otherwise plain, bounded by inner and outer rims consistent with the obverse. This year mark is a diagnostic feature of the northern-type Chongzhen Tongbao series, enabling precise dating within the reign period. |
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| Additional information |
The Chongzhen reign (1628–1644) was the last of the Ming dynasty, and the northern mints operating under the Board of Revenue and Board of Works were producing cash coins even as the empire collapsed around them. By the mid-1630s, rebel armies under Li Zicheng were carving through the northern provinces, and Manchu forces were raiding past the Great Wall with increasing frequency. Year-marked issues like this one were an administrative attempt to impose accountability on a mint system riddled with weight fraud and metal adulteration — supervisors could be held responsible for specific annual outputs.
The Chongzhen emperor hanged himself on Coal Hill in Beijing in April 1644, just years after this coin left the furnace.