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1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao, southern type, with Ji
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1630-1644 |
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| Currency | Cash (621-1912) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse presents the four-character reign title legend 崇禎通寶 (Chongzhen Tongbao) cast in regular script (kaishu), disposed in the traditional cross-reading order: top, bottom, right, left around a central square perforation. The characters are rendered in a bold, upright style characteristic of late Ming southern mint issues, set within a plain inner rim and a slightly raised outer rim. The flat field shows no additional decorative elements. Heavy encrustation and patination are present, consistent with long circulation and burial. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Additional information |
The Chongzhen reign (1628–1644) was the last of the Ming dynasty, and its cash coinage reflects the fiscal collapse that accompanied it. Provincial mints proliferated wildly as central authority disintegrated, producing a bewildering range of local types distinguished by reverse marks — the character 戶 (Ji) here indicating production under a specific fiscal bureau. Southern-type pieces like this one show the broader, thinner flan proportions associated with Jiangnan-area production as the dynasty fought simultaneously against Manchu incursions from the north and the rebel forces of Li Zicheng from within.
Chongzhen himself hanged himself on Coal Hill as Beijing fell in April 1644.