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10 Cash - Hongwu Tongbao, Ji
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1368-1393 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
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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 |
| Reference(s) | Hartill#20.118, FD#1951 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 洪武通寶 (Translation: Hong Wu Tong Bao — Hongwu [Emperor] / Universal currency) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Hongwu Tongbao series was issued under Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming dynasty — a former Buddhist novice and rebel leader who overthrew the Yuan in 1368. The "Ji" mint mark denotes Jinan, in Shandong province. What makes these issues historically awkward is that Zhu Yuanzhang himself was deeply suspicious of paper money yet inherited a monetary system built on it; his early cash coinage was partly an attempt to reassert metal currency, though the dynasty would revert to paper within decades.
The 10-cash denomination was never widely trusted in circulation — oversized bronze multiples had a long history of being hoarded or melted rather than spent.