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4 Zhu Xiaojian, Southern dynasties, Song Dynasty, Plain reverse
| Issuer | Southern dynasties |
|---|---|
| Year | 454-467 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 0.5 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Reverse description | Plain reverse with no inscription or decorative elements. The broad flat field surrounding the central square hole is entirely blank, bounded by a raised outer rim. The surface exhibits a heavy green cuprite and malachite patination characteristic of Southern Dynasties cast bronze cash coinage. The absence of reverse markings is a defining feature of this issue as catalogued under Hartill 13.14. |
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| Additional information |
The "Xiaojian" denomination takes its name from the Xiaojian reign period of Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song, one of the four short-lived Southern Dynasties that controlled the Yangtze River basin while the north remained under non-Han rule. These coins were cast in such vast quantities — and with so little control over metal content — that they collapsed in purchasing power almost immediately, prompting successive imperial edicts attempting to regulate private casting that were largely ignored.
The plain reverse distinguishes this from contemporaneous issues that carried additional cast marks or secondary inscriptions added to combat forgery.