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1 Cash Kaiyuan Tongbao, Fu
| Issuer | Min Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 916 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, clerical script) |
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| Reverse description | Cast reverse with a plain flat field and raised inner and outer rims flanking the central square perforation. A single Chinese character 福 (Fu), rendered in regular script (kaishu), is positioned above the square hole in low relief, identifying the Fuzhou mint. The surface shows characteristic porosity and encrustation consistent with lead alloy and extended burial or circulation. |
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| Additional information |
The Min Kingdom, one of the Ten Kingdoms that fragmented Tang China after 907, occupied what is now Fujian province and maintained only a tenuous grip on its territory throughout its brief existence. Lead coinage of this type reflects the chronic copper shortage afflicting peripheral successor states — Min rulers struck in lead where Tang precedent demanded bronze, a practical concession that also signals just how far monetary infrastructure had deteriorated in the south.
The fu designation on this variety likely indicates the furnace or supervisory office of origin, a cataloging distinction Hartill treats as a separate type rather than a mere die variant.