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2 Cash - Yuanfeng Tongbao, Running script, iron
| Issuer | Imperial Chinese Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1078-1085 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round with a square hole |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cast iron cash coin of standard round form with a central square hole. Four Chinese ideograms in cursive running script (xingshu) are arranged in clockwise reading order around the central aperture, reading 元豐通寶 (Yuanfeng Tongbao). The characters occupy the four cardinal quadrants of the obverse field, separated by the square perforation, with no inner or outer rim decoration beyond the raised borders typical of Song dynasty cast coinage. The calligraphic style reflects the refined running script associated with Emperor Shenzong's reign era. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Yuanfeng reign period saw Emperor Shenzong press aggressively forward with Wang Anshi's New Policies — a sweeping fiscal reform program that included state loans to farmers, militia reorganization, and a dramatic expansion of government minting to fund it all. Iron cash was a deliberate policy instrument in the northwest frontier regions, where copper was strategically restricted to prevent metal from crossing into Jurchen and Tangut territory. Running script on cash coins is considerably less common than standard clerical forms, and the calligraphic style here is attributed to imperial brush, a claim made of several Shenzong-era issues.