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1 Cash - Xianfeng Tongbao, Boo-su, large type
| Issuer | Board of Revenue and Board of Works Mints, Qing Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851-1860 |
| 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 |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays two Manchu script characters in raised relief, one on each side of the central square hole, reading vertically: ᠪᠣᠣ (Boo) to the right and ᠰᡠ (Su) to the left, together forming the mint name Boo-su, identifying the Suzhou Mint. The characters are cleanly cast in a bold style typical of Qing dynasty cash coinage, set against a plain, flat field. The square central perforation is well-defined with neat inner edges, and the coin rim is raised and even. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ᠪᠣᠣ ᠰᡠ (Translation: Boo-su) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Xianfeng reign coincided with the Taiping Rebellion, one of the deadliest civil wars in recorded history, which severely disrupted copper supply chains and forced both the Board of Revenue and Board of Works mints in Beijing to experiment with alloy compositions and flan sizes throughout the 1850s. The "large type" designation distinguishes this issue from the reduced-weight cash pieces that appeared as the fiscal strain deepened — by the later Xianfeng years, coin quality had deteriorated dramatically across nearly all provincial and metropolitan mints.
Boo-su is the Manchu rendering of the Board of Revenue mint. Hartill 22.923 places this among the heavier, better-produced early Xianfeng issues before wartime economics took hold.