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2 Cash - Jiading Zhibao, type 2, Li Zhou, iron
| Issuer | Southern Song Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1208-1224 |
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| Currency | Cash (621-1912) |
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| Obverse description | Cast iron cash coin of circular form centering a square central perforation. Four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) are arranged in cruciform fashion around the central hole, reading top-to-bottom and right-to-left: 嘉定之寶 (Jiading Zhibao, meaning 'Treasure of the Jiading reign era'). The broad, flat rim frames a recessed field, and the raised characters display bold, well-formed strokes consistent with Southern Song casting conventions. The coin's surface exhibits iron oxidation patina typical of long-circulated examples from this issue. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Additional information |
The Jiading Zhibao series was issued under Emperor Ningzong during a period of sustained military pressure from the Jin dynasty to the north. Iron cash were a deliberate policy response — copper was chronically short, diverted to military hardware and hoarded by the population whenever political stability wavered. Li Zhou (澧州, in modern Hunan) was one of several regional mints activated specifically to produce iron currency, distributing the minting burden across the empire's interior provinces rather than concentrating it at vulnerable northern edges.
Type 2 distinctions within this series follow calligraphic and casting variables catalogued by Hartill — small differences in stroke weight and hole casting quality that reflect different working dies rather than different issuing authorities.