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1 Cash - Yuanfu Tongbao, Clerical script, iron
| Issuer | Northern Song Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1098-1100 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cash |
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| 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 |
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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 (Clerical script) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse field with a square central perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim and an outer rim, entirely devoid of any inscription, mint mark, or decorative device. The heavily textured iron surface shows pronounced casting irregularities and corrosion consistent with age, typical of Northern Song dynasty iron cash coinage produced at provincial mints. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Yuanfu was the final reign period of Emperor Zhezong, who died in 1100 at around twenty-three years of age after a reign marked by the ongoing factional war between reformers and conservatives over Wang Anshi's New Policies. Iron cash of this period were minted primarily in the Shaanxi and Sichuan regions, where copper shortages made iron the practical alternative — not a debasement, but a regional economic necessity driven by military logistics along the northwestern frontier facing the Western Xia.
Hartill 16.338 specifically distinguishes the clerical script variety, as Yuanfu issues appear in both regular and clerical forms across different mints.