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1 Cash - Xiankang Yuanbao, with crescent
| Issuer | Former Shu Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 925 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cash |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin featuring a central square hole surrounded by a raised inner rim. Four Chinese characters in clerical script (lishu) are arranged in cruciform fashion around the central perforation, reading clockwise: 咸 (Xian), 康 (Kang), 元 (Yuan), 寶 (Bao), together forming the reign-era inscription 'Xiankang Yuanbao.' The characters are rendered in bold relief against a flat field, with a plain raised outer rim encircling the composition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 咸 寶 康 元 (Translation: Xian Kang Yuan Bao Xiankang (2nd era of Wang Yan, 925) / Original currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Former Shu was a short-lived kingdom occupying Sichuan during the Five Dynasties period, founded by Wang Jian in 907 and extinguished by Later Tang forces in 925 — the very year this cash type was issued. Wang Zongyan, the last ruler, surrendered without serious resistance. The Xiankang reign period lasted less than a year, which constrains the window for this type's production considerably.
The crescent mark is a positional die symbol, almost certainly a mint or furnace designation rather than an ornamental choice.