2 Cash - Jiading Tongbao, Tong, iron

The Jiading Tongbao was issued under Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song dynasty, a reign defined by constant pressure from the Jurchen Jin dynasty to the north. Iron cash of this period reflect a chronic copper shortage that had plagued Southern Song finances for decades — the dynasty's truncated territory cut it off from many of the traditional copper-producing regions now held by the Jin. Iron coinage was a fiscal stopgap, minted in volume but poorly received in commerce, often trading at a discount against bronze equivalents.

The two-cash denomination in iron was particularly prone to casting irregularities, and survivors with clean, legible reverses are notably less common than face value alone would suggest.