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1 Cash - Shunzhi Tongbao, Chinese reverse with Yi Li, Tong
| Issuer | Board of Revenue Mint / Board of Works Mint, Qing Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1656-1657 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Cast brass cash coin with a central square perforation surrounded by a plain inner rim and a raised outer rim. Four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) are arranged in cruciform fashion around the central hole, reading top-to-bottom and right-to-left: 順 (Shun), 治 (Zhi), 通 (Tong), 寶 (Bao), together forming the reign title and denomination legend 'Shunzhi Tongbao.' The characters are boldly rendered in raised relief against a flat, unadorned field. The overall style is characteristic of early Qing dynasty cast coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The yi li ("one li") reverse inscription on this cash reflects a short-lived and largely failed attempt by the Shunzhi court to peg the coin's face value to a fractional weight of silver — one li being one-thousandth of a tael. The policy, introduced in 1656, was intended to rationalize the chaotic multi-issuer copper cash market inherited from the collapsing Ming dynasty. It was abandoned within two years when the silver equivalence proved unenforceable in daily transactions.
The tong mint mark indicates production at one of the two central Board mints in Beijing, both of which ran this type concurrently for its brief window of issue.