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1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao, southern type, with dot in circle
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1630-1644 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim, with four Chinese ideograms in kaishu (regular script) arranged in cruciform reading order: top to bottom and right to left, forming the legend Chongzhen Tongbao. The characters are boldly cast in high relief against a flat field, with a plain raised outer rim encircling the design. The coin exhibits characteristic southern-type casting with relatively broad rims and well-defined strokes. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Chongzhen Emperor's reign saw the Ming dynasty's minting authority fragment badly — provincial and military commanders issued cash coins under their own supervision, producing enormous variation in calligraphy, module, and metal quality. The "southern type" designation reflects production from foundries operating in the Yangtze delta region, where brass alloys differed noticeably from the more copper-heavy northern issues.
The dot within a circle on the reverse is a foundry control mark, the precise workshop behind it unresolved in the literature. Chongzhen died by suicide in 1644 as Li Zicheng's forces entered Beijing.