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1 Cash Kaiyuan Tongbao
| Issuer | Uncertain Chinese kingdoms |
|---|---|
| Year | 907-971 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim, with four Chinese characters in clerical script (lishu) arranged in the four cardinal positions around the central hole, reading top-to-bottom then right-to-left: 開 (top), 元 (right), 通 (bottom), 寶 (left), forming the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao. The characters are boldly cast in raised relief against a flat field, with a plain outer rim encircling the design. The coin exhibits the characteristic features of a lead local imitation, with somewhat coarse casting quality and irregular surface texture consistent with provincial manufacture during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Completely plain and uninscribed, with a central square perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim and a plain outer rim. The flat field bears no markings, symbols, or mint indicators, confirming this coin's uniface character. The surface shows typical lead patination with mottled grey and whitish deposits consistent with age and burial. |
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| Additional information |
The Kaiyuan Tongbao design originated under Tang emperor Xuanzong in 621 AD and proved so durable that it continued to be copied by virtually every successor state during the Five Dynasties period and into the Ten Kingdoms. Lead issues attributable to this era are generally associated with the southern kingdoms — Min, Southern Han, and Chu among them — where copper shortages or economic desperation pushed local authorities toward base-metal substitutes that the population accepted only under duress. Hartill's attribution to "uncertain kingdoms" reflects a genuine cataloging problem: without mint marks or reign titles, lead Kaiyuan pieces resist firm assignment.