3 Cash - Chunxi Yuanbao, iron

Chunxi Yuanbao iron cash were produced under Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song dynasty, whose reign saw persistent monetary pressure from the costs of maintaining defenses against the Jin dynasty to the north. Bronze was reserved for higher-denomination and prestige issues; iron filled the gap in everyday commerce across the southern provinces. These coins circulated hard and corroded readily in the humid Yangtze delta climate, which accounts for why well-preserved iron Song cash are genuinely difficult to locate.

The 3-cash denomination places this piece in a category produced in relatively limited volume compared to the standard 1-cash iron issues of the same reign.