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1 Cash - Guangtian Yuanbao
| Issuer | Former Shu Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised square rim, with four large Chinese characters arranged in cruciform reading clockwise in clerical and running script styles: 光 (Guang) at top-right, 天 (Tian) at right, 元 (Yuan) at bottom, and 寶 (Bao) at left, together forming the reign era inscription Guangtian Yuanbao. The characters are bold and well-defined within the inner field, separated by the arms of the square hole. The coin is struck with a plain outer rim and exhibits a patina consistent with its age, covered in green and brown oxidation typical of cast bronze cash coins of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain and uninscribed reverse, displaying only the raised square rim surrounding the central square perforation and a smooth, featureless field beyond. The surface shows heavy green patination and casting texture consistent with hand-cast bronze cash coins of the early tenth century. No marks, symbols, or secondary inscriptions are present. |
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| Additional information |
The Former Shu was a short-lived kingdom carved out of Sichuan during the Five Dynasties period, ruled by Wang Jian and then his son Wang Zongyan. The Guangtian reign period lasted only two years, 918–919, under Wang Zongyan — a ruler whose court was notorious for fiscal recklessness and whose kingdom collapsed to Later Tang forces in 925 without serious resistance. The brevity of the reign period directly constrains the window of production for this type.