10 Cash - Tianqi Tongbao, with Shi

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.