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1 Cash Liyong Tongbao
| Issuer | Great Zhou dynasty (Wu Sangui) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1674-1678 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Thickness | 1.9 mm |
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| Obverse description | Round cast bronze coin centering on a square perforation (方孔), flanked by four Chinese characters in regular script (楷書) arranged in cruciform order reading top-to-bottom and right-to-left: 利 (lì) above, 用 (yòng) to the right, 通 (tōng) to the left, and 寶 (bǎo) below, together forming the reign title legend 利用通寶 (Lìyòng Tōngbǎo). The characters are boldly cast in relief within a flat inner field, separated by raised rims surrounding the central square hole. The outer rim is broad and slightly rounded, consistent with provincial casting practices of the Southern Ming resistance period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 利用通寶 (Translation: Li Yong Tong Bao — Profitable and Universal Currency) |
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| Additional information |
Wu Sangui struck the Liyong Tongbao during his rebellion against the Qing as part of the so-called Revolt of the Three Feudatories, having spent decades as a Qing collaborator before declaring himself emperor of a revived Zhou dynasty in 1678 — the same year he died, leaving his short-lived regime to collapse within months. The coinage was produced across his southwestern strongholds, primarily in Yunnan, where he had built his power base after famously opening the Shanhai Pass to Manchu forces in 1644.
Production effectively ceased with his death. Pieces attributable to the final months of the reign are notably scarcer than earlier issues.