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1 Cash Zhouyuan Tongbao
| Issuer | Later Zhou Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 955-959 |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 周 寶 通 元 (Translation: Zhou Yuan Tong Bao - Circulating Treasure of the Zhouyuan era) |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse featuring a central square perforation with a raised square boss forming the inner rim. The broad, flat field between the inner and outer rims is entirely unadorned, with no inscription, symbol, or decorative element. The outer rim is slightly raised and well-defined. The surface displays an even dark patina consistent with cast bronze of the Five Dynasties period. |
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| Additional information |
The Zhouyuan Tongbao was introduced under Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou following his 955 edict suppressing Buddhism — one of the most sweeping anti-clerical campaigns in Chinese history. Thousands of monasteries were dissolved and their bronze bells, statues, and ritual vessels were ordered melted down and reminted as coin. The policy was explicitly fiscal: Shizong needed metal for currency to fund military campaigns aimed at reunifying a fractured China after the Five Dynasties period.
Shizong died in 959 before reunification was achieved. That work fell to his successor's general, Zhao Kuangyin, who founded the Song Dynasty the following year.