The Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong saw an unusually ambitious cash denomination program, with ten-cash pieces struck in both bronze and iron across multiple supervised mints. The "Shi" inscription — indicating the denomination explicitly on the coin itself — was a response to chronic public distrust of overvalued high-denomination cash that had plagued Northern Song currency policy for decades. Huizong's court was forcing face value through inscription where market acceptance would not follow naturally.
Hartill 16.413 places this among the more controlled northern mint productions, though provincial casting quality varied enough that die consistency across the type is far from guaranteed.
The Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong saw an unusually ambitious cash denomination program, with ten-cash pieces struck in both bronze and iron across multiple supervised mints. The "Shi" inscription — indicating the denomination explicitly on the coin itself — was a response to chronic public distrust of overvalued high-denomination cash that had plagued Northern Song currency policy for decades. Huizong's court was forcing face value through inscription where market acceptance would not follow naturally.
Hartill 16.413 places this among the more controlled northern mint productions, though provincial casting quality varied enough that die consistency across the type is far from guaranteed.