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3 Cash - Zhihe Zhongbao, read standard
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1054-1055 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 14.67 g |
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| Obverse description | Round cast iron coin featuring a central square perforation (穿) surrounded by a raised inner rim. Four Chinese characters in regular script (楷書) are arranged in the four quadrants reading top-to-bottom, right-to-left: 至和重寶 (Zhihe Zhongbao), denoting the Zhihe reign era of Emperor Renzong of Song and signifying 'heavy currency.' The characters are set within a flat field bordered by a raised outer rim. The coin displays heavy iron oxidation and encrustation consistent with burial patina, partially obscuring the surface detail. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 至 寶 重 和 (Translation: Zhi He Zhong Bao Zhihe (8th era of Renzong, 1054-1056) / Heavy currency) |
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| Additional information |
Zhihe was a reign period lasting just two years under Emperor Renzong of the Song dynasty — the final era title of a reign that had itself stretched over four decades, the longest of any Song emperor. Iron cash of this period were produced to supplement chronic copper shortages, a problem that worsened throughout the mid-eleventh century as copper was hoarded, exported, or consumed by the Buddhist trade in ritual bronzes. Iron coinage was never popular with the public and circulated poorly outside the regions where it was issued.
Hartill 16.145 is among the scarcer iron issues of Renzong's reign.