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1 Cash - Yuanfu Tongbao, Running script, Fen, iron
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1098-1100 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cash |
| 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 | 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 | Chinese (traditional, running script) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central square perforation flanked by a plain inner rim and a raised outer rim. A single Chinese character in regular script (kaishu) appears above the central hole: 汾 (Fen), denoting the Fenzhou mint attribution. The remainder of the reverse field is plain and unadorned, consistent with Northern Song iron cash minting conventions for provincial mint marks. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Yuanfu reign period lasted only three years under Emperor Zhezong, who died in 1100 at roughly twenty-three years old. Iron cash of this type were struck as a regional substitute currency, primarily in Shaanxi and Sichuan, where chronic copper shortages forced the Song administration to authorize iron coinage on a large scale. The running script variety adds a further layer of specificity — Song-era cash were deliberately issued across multiple script styles simultaneously, a practice that complicates attribution but confirms deliberate diversification of die production across different casting facilities.