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5 Cash - Jiading Yuanbao, Lizhou, iron
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1208-1224 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Hartill#17.624, Schjoth#945 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | 州利 Shaoxing Mint (绍兴监), Lizhou, modern-day Guangyuan, Sichuan, China (1005-1128; 1145-?) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Jiading Yuanbao issues were struck under Emperor Ningzong during a period of intense military pressure from the Jurchen Jin dynasty to the north, with the Southern Song government operating a fragmented and often locally managed mint network to keep armies paid and markets functional. Lizhou, a prefectural mint in Sichuan, turned to iron specifically because copper had become strategically scarce — the metal was being hoarded, exported, and consumed by a military economy that the court in Lin'an could not fully control.
Sichuan iron cash from this reign are notoriously variable in casting quality, a direct consequence of decentralized production.