10 Cash - Qingli Zhongbao, read clockwise, iron

The Qingli reign of Emperor Renzong was marked by the so-called Qingli Reforms, a short-lived administrative overhaul championed by Fan Zhongyan that attempted to restructure the bureaucracy and reduce military expenditure. Iron cash were issued in significant quantities during this period partly to conserve copper, which was chronically diverted to Buddhist temple casting and private hoarding. Iron coinage of the Northern Song consistently suffered accelerated corrosion in circulation, which explains why high-integrity survivors are genuinely scarce despite once-large mintages. The clockwise reading distinguishes this issue from contemporary pieces with the conventional top-bottom-right-left sequence.