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1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao, northern type, with Yi Qian - type 1
| Issuer | Ming Dynasty Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1630-1644 |
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| Composition | Brass |
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| Obverse description | Central square hole surrounded by a raised inner rim, with four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) arranged in cruciform fashion around the perforation, reading top-to-bottom and right-to-left: 崇 (top), 禎 (bottom), 通 (right), 寶 (left), forming the reign title and denomination legend 崇禎通寶. A plain raised outer rim borders the coin's periphery. The casting is typical of the northern mint style, with moderately bold strokes and a plain, undecorated field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 崇禎通寶 (Translation: Chong Zhen Tong Bao — Chongzhen [Emperor's reign title] / Universal Currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Chongzhen emperor's reign was consumed by simultaneous crises: Li Zicheng's rebel armies pressing from the north and west, Manchu forces breaching the Great Wall, and a treasury so depleted that soldiers went unpaid for months. Cash coinage from this period was produced erratically across multiple mints, and the northern type reflects production concentrated in Beijing-area facilities as southern supply lines collapsed. The emperor hanged himself on Coal Hill in 1644 as Li Zicheng's forces entered the capital.
The yi qian reverse inscription denotes a nominal weight standard of one qian, an attempt at quality control that the dynasty's fiscal collapse made largely unenforceable in practice.