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2 Cash - Xianchun Yuanbao, with year
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1265-1272 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised square rim, with four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) arranged in the traditional reading order — top, bottom, right, left — forming the reign title and currency denomination 咸淳元寶 (Xianchun Yuanbao). The characters are boldly cast in relief against a flat field. A plain outer rim encircles the design. The overall style is consistent with Southern Song dynasty cast bronze cash coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 咸 寶 元 淳 (Translation: Xian Chun Yuan Bao Xianchun (era of Duzong, 1265-1274) / Original currency) |
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| Additional information |
The Xianchun reign period (1265–1274) fell during the final decades of the Southern Song dynasty, by which point Mongol forces under Kublai Khan had already absorbed northern China and were systematically pressing south. These dated cash coins — unusual for Song issues, which typically omit year marks — were produced as the court at Lin'an functioned under increasing siege conditions. The dynasty would fall entirely by 1279.
Hartill's reference to this type notes genuine variation in the year inscriptions across the series, making attribution of individual specimens dependent on close reading of the cyclical date characters.