The Southern Tang, ruling from Jinling (modern Nanjing), issued large-denomination cash coins during the reign of Li Yu — the last ruler of the dynasty, better remembered as a poet than an administrator. The Yongtong Quanhuo series was struck as the kingdom faced existential military pressure from the nascent Song dynasty to the north, and the 10-cash denomination reflects a state increasingly reliant on overvalued coinage to fund its defense. Li Yu surrendered to Song forces in 975.
The cloud variety referenced here is a die distinction noted by collectors but sits outside Hartill's primary listing — the "cf." attribution signals a recognized variant without a dedicated catalog number.
The Southern Tang, ruling from Jinling (modern Nanjing), issued large-denomination cash coins during the reign of Li Yu — the last ruler of the dynasty, better remembered as a poet than an administrator. The Yongtong Quanhuo series was struck as the kingdom faced existential military pressure from the nascent Song dynasty to the north, and the 10-cash denomination reflects a state increasingly reliant on overvalued coinage to fund its defense. Li Yu surrendered to Song forces in 975.
The cloud variety referenced here is a die distinction noted by collectors but sits outside Hartill's primary listing — the "cf." attribution signals a recognized variant without a dedicated catalog number.