The Shaoxi reign period (1190–1194) fell under Emperor Guangzong of the Southern Song, a ruler whose erratic behavior and strained relationship with his father Xiaozong created enough political instability that his own officials eventually pressured him into abdication in 1194. Iron cash of this period were a practical response to chronic copper shortages in the south, with the Southern Song government having lost access to the major northern copper sources after the Jin dynasty's conquest of the Central Plains.
The mint mark Ding identified a specific furnace or casting location within the issuing mint. Hartill 17.370 is among the less frequently encountered Shaoxi iron varieties.
The Shaoxi reign period (1190–1194) fell under Emperor Guangzong of the Southern Song, a ruler whose erratic behavior and strained relationship with his father Xiaozong created enough political instability that his own officials eventually pressured him into abdication in 1194. Iron cash of this period were a practical response to chronic copper shortages in the south, with the Southern Song government having lost access to the major northern copper sources after the Jin dynasty's conquest of the Central Plains.
The mint mark Ding identified a specific furnace or casting location within the issuing mint. Hartill 17.370 is among the less frequently encountered Shaoxi iron varieties.