Tiancheng was the reign title of Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang, who seized power in 926 after orchestrating the murder of his adoptive brother Li Cunxu — the dynasty's founder. The Later Tang was the most stable of the Five Dynasties, but that is a low bar; the entire period saw nine dynasties collapse across fifty-three years. Hartill 15.2 distinguishes this type by the specific clerical-script rendering of the characters, a detail that separates it from contemporary imitations produced by competing regional powers who had little incentive to wait for central mint authorization.
Tiancheng was the reign title of Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang, who seized power in 926 after orchestrating the murder of his adoptive brother Li Cunxu — the dynasty's founder. The Later Tang was the most stable of the Five Dynasties, but that is a low bar; the entire period saw nine dynasties collapse across fifty-three years. Hartill 15.2 distinguishes this type by the specific clerical-script rendering of the characters, a detail that separates it from contemporary imitations produced by competing regional powers who had little incentive to wait for central mint authorization.