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2 Cash - Shengsong Yuanbao, Running script
| Issuer | Northern Song Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1101-1106 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Central square hole surrounded by a raised square rim, with four Chinese characters rendered in cursive running script (xingshu) disposed one in each cardinal position around the central aperture. The four-character reign inscription reads clockwise from the top: 聖 (Sheng), 宋 (Song), 元 (Yuan), 寶 (Bao). The characters are boldly cast in relief against a flat, unadorned field, with the fluid, connected strokes characteristic of the running script style clearly evident. A plain raised outer rim encircles the entire design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, running script) |
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| Additional information |
Shengsong Yuanbao was issued under Emperor Huizong in the first years of his reign, before his administration settled into the political and artistic preoccupations that would define — and ultimately doom — the Northern Song court. The running script calligraphy on this type is attributed to Huizong himself, part of a broader court practice of having the emperor provide reign title inscriptions directly for coinage dies. Huizong was an accomplished calligrapher, and his hand is considered genuinely distinguishable across the several script styles produced during his reign.
The 2 cash denomination saw relatively brief production within the Shengsong series before larger denominations and subsequent reign titles displaced it.