Catalog
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| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1576-1620 |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Cast |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 正 (Translation: Zheng [Uncertain mint]) |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Wanli Tongbao cash were produced across a sprawling network of provincial mints during one of the longest reigns of the Ming dynasty — 48 years under the Wanli Emperor, who famously withdrew from court duties for nearly three decades in a dispute with his ministers over imperial succession. Mint output varied wildly by province and year, and quality control was effectively nonexistent by the later reign years, resulting in substantial variation in fabric and alloy even within nominally identical issues.
The "Zheng" board designation indicates production supervised by the Board of Revenue's central mint rather than a regional foundry. Hartill 20.156 is among the more frequently encountered varieties, but later-reign strikes tend toward thinner, poorly centered flans.