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1 Cash - Xuande Tongbao
| Issuer | Ming Dynasty Imperial Board of Revenue |
|---|---|
| Year | 1433-1435 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Cash (621-1912) |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| 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 is uniface, bearing no inscriptions or decorative devices. The flat field surrounds a central square perforation and is enclosed by a plain raised rim, consistent with standard Ming dynasty cash coinage practice. The surface shows the characteristic texture of sand-cast bronze, with no mint mark or additional legend. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Xuande Tongbao was produced under the Xuande Emperor's direct intervention in monetary policy — an unusual personal engagement for a Ming ruler. By the 1430s, the dynasty's paper currency, the Da Ming Baochao, had collapsed in practical terms through decades of over-issue, and the court reluctantly sanctioned renewed copper cash production after a long hiatus. The Board of Revenue casting at Beijing was explicitly authorized rather than delegated to provincial furnaces, a distinction that matters for attributing pieces to this type.
Brass composition rather than bronze distinguishes Xuande-era cash from earlier Ming issues — a deliberate metallurgical shift reflecting changing resource access in the Yongle and Xuande periods.