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5 Cash - Zhizheng Tongbao
| Issuer | Yuan Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1358-1359 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 22.25 g |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin featuring four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) arranged in cruciform fashion around a central square hole. Reading top-to-bottom and right-to-left, the legend reads 至正通寶 (Zhizheng Tongbao), meaning 'Universal Currency of the Zhizheng era.' The characters are boldly rendered with clearly defined strokes, occupying the four quadrants of the obverse field. The rim is plain and slightly raised, framing the inscription in the traditional format of Chinese cash coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Cast bronze reverse bearing a combination of ʼPhags-pa script and Chinese characters arranged around the central square hole. A ʼPhags-pa inscription appears to the right of the hole, denoting the cyclical year designation (Seu = Wu Xu, 戊戌), while the Chinese numeral 五 (wu, meaning 'five') appears below, indicating the denomination of five cash. The characters are deeply and crisply cast, with a plain raised rim encircling the field. The sparse design is typical of Yuan dynasty denominational reverses, combining the imperial ʼPhags-pa script with traditional Chinese notation. |
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| Additional information |
The Zhizheng Tongbao series was authorized in 1350 under Emperor Toghon Temür as part of a broader monetary reform intended to stabilize an economy already buckling under the weight of paper currency debasement. By 1358–1359, when this 5 cash piece was struck, the Yuan dynasty was fighting for survival on multiple fronts — the Red Turban rebellions had fractured northern China, and Zhu Yuanzhang's forces were advancing steadily toward what would become the Ming takeover in 1368.
Cash coins of this denomination and period rarely circulated widely enough to accumulate heavy wear before the dynasty collapsed entirely.