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10 Cash - Tianqi Tongbao, with Shi
| Issuer | Ministry of Public Works / Ministry of Revenue, Ming Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1621-1627 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Cash |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Large round cast brass coin with a central square hole. The obverse bears four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform reading clockwise from the top: 天 (Tiān), 寶 (Bǎo), 啓 (Qǐ), and 通 (Tōng), forming the reign title and currency legend 'Tianqi Tongbao' (Heavenly Opening / Universal Currency). The characters are rendered in regular script (kaishu) and are separated by the inner rim surrounding the square central perforation. Both an inner and outer raised rim border the coin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 天啓通寶 (Translation: Tian Qi Tong Bao — Tianqi (Emperor) / Universal currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Tianqi emperor's reign was dominated by the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, whose grip on the imperial bureaucracy extended to the oversight of coin production itself. Both the Board of Revenue and Board of Works mints operated simultaneously under this arrangement, producing large-format cash at a scale that badly outpaced commercial demand. The resulting oversupply drove these heavy 10-cash pieces out of active use almost immediately — they were discounted in markets, often circulating at a fraction of their nominal value.
The character Shi denotes a Board of Works issue. Die workmanship varies considerably across surviving examples, reflecting the loosened supervisory standards of Wei Zhongxian's administration.