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5 Cash - Hongwu Tongbao, with Wu Qian
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1368-1393 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | 五錢 (Translation: Wu Qian — 5 Qian, indicating the weight of 5 Cash) |
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| Mintage | ND (1368-1393) |
| Additional information |
The Hongwu emperor — Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty — launched an ambitious multi-denomination cash coinage in 1368 that was almost immediately undermined by his own monetary policy. Within a few years he was aggressively promoting paper currency instead, and by 1393 bronze cash production had effectively been suspended in favor of the Da Ming Tongxing Baochao notes. Coins from this period consequently saw limited circulation before the policy shift pulled them from active use.
The "Wu Qian" reverse inscription indicating five-cash denomination places this among the higher-value issues of the Hongwu series, struck at multiple furnaces across the empire with predictable variation in alloy and module.