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5 Cash - Jiading Zhongbao, Seal script, Xing, iron
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1208-1224 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Cash |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised inner rim, with four Chinese ideograms in Seal script (篆書) arranged in cruciform reading order: top-bottom, right-left. The legend 嘉定重寶 (Jiading Zhongbao) radiates outward from the central hole toward the outer rim. The characters are boldly cast in relief against a flat field, enclosed by a raised outer rim. The coin displays the characteristic coarse casting texture associated with Southern Song dynasty iron issues. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Additional information |
The Jiading reign of Emperor Ningzong saw southern Song China under relentless military pressure from the Jurchen Jin dynasty to the north. Iron coinage expanded dramatically during this period not from choice but from necessity — copper was chronically scarce, diverted toward military hardware and lost through northern territories no longer under Song control. Iron cash circulated widely in Jiangnan and Sichuan but corroded badly, which explains the survival rate.
The Xing mint designation places this piece among a small subset of the Jiading series. Hartill 17.666 is among the less frequently encountered mint varieties within the type.