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1 Cash Kaiyuan Tongbao, Fang
| Issuer | Min Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 943-945 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Cast round coin with a central square perforation, displaying four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform fashion around the square hole, read in the traditional sequence of top, bottom, right, left. The four characters, rendered in clerical script (lishu), read 開元通寶 (Kaiyuan Tongbao). The characters are bold and slightly raised in low relief against a flat, undecorated field, with no inner or outer rim roping. The overall die execution is typical of Five Dynasties period provincial casting, with broad, somewhat irregular strokes characteristic of lead alloy production. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 開 寶 通 元 (Translation: Kai Yuan Tong Bao Inaugural currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Min Kingdom, centered in Fujian province, was one of the shortest-lived of the Ten Kingdoms — it effectively collapsed in 945 when the Southern Tang invaded and absorbed it. Lead coinage of this type was an emergency measure born of chronic copper shortages in the region, and these issues circulated almost exclusively within Fujian's isolated geography. The "Fang" designation refers to the square-holed cast variety distinguished by specific calligraphic characteristics tied to late Min production.