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2 Cash - Jingkang Yuanbao, Clerical script
| Issuer | Northern Song Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1126-1127 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Cash |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin featuring a central square perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim. The four-character reign title inscription 靖康元寶 (Jingkang Yuanbao) is arranged in clerical script (lishu) in a cruciform reading pattern around the central hole, with one character positioned at each cardinal point. The characters are rendered in bold, well-formed strokes characteristic of the lishu tradition. The field between the inner and outer rims is flat and unadorned. The raised outer rim is broad and clearly defined. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 靖 寶 康 元 (Translation: Jing Kang Yuan Bao Jingkang (era of Qinzong, 1126-1127) / Original currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Jingkang reign lasted exactly two years — long enough to produce coinage, not long enough to escape catastrophe. In 1127, Jurchen Jin forces sacked Kaifeng, captured Emperor Qinzong along with his father the retired Emperor Huizong, and ended the Northern Song in a single campaign. Coins bearing the Jingkang era name were effectively orphaned the moment they were struck.
The brevity of the reign keeps surviving examples scarce relative to earlier Song issues. Most circulated in a city under siege.