5 Cash - Daguan Tongbao

Daguan Tongbao coinage was issued under Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song, a ruler better remembered for his extraordinary calligraphic and painting skills than for sound governance. The Daguan reign period lasted only four years, and the monetary policy of the court during this window was notably unstable — large-denomination cash pieces like this 5 cash issue were part of an inflationary strategy that eroded public confidence in bronze coinage generally.

Huizong himself is credited with designing the slender gold thread script used on Daguan issues, a style called Slender Gold Script, or shòujīntǐ, which he developed personally.