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1 Cash Kaiyuan Tongbao, Seal script
| Issuer | Southern Tang Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 961-976 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Hartill#15.99, FD#821, Schjoth#446 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain and unadorned reverse featuring a central square hole framed by a raised inner rim, surrounded by a smooth, uninscribed field and enclosed by a raised outer rim. No legend, symbols, or decorative elements are present, confirming this as a uniface issue. The surface shows typical casting texture consistent with Southern Tang mint production. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (961-976) |
| Additional information |
The Southern Tang kingdom minted this Kai Yuan type in seal script — a deliberate archaism — during the reign of Li Yu, the last ruler of the dynasty, a poet-emperor whose cultural refinements far outpaced his political competence. The seal script character style distinguishes this issue from the standard clerical-script Kaiyuan Tongbao that had dominated Chinese bronze coinage since the Tang dynasty proper, nearly three centuries earlier.
Li Yu surrendered to the Song in 975 and died under house arrest two years later, almost certainly poisoned. The kingdom's minting operations ceased with the conquest.