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50 Cash - Qianyuan Zhongbao, with cloud
| Issuer | Imperial Government of the Tang Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 759-762 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Cash |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Round cast bronze coin with a central square hole, bearing four Chinese characters in clerical script (lishu) arranged in cruciform reading order around the perforation. The legend reads Qian Yuan Zhong Bao (乾元重寶), with 'Qian' (乾) to the right, 'Yuan' (元) to the left, 'Zhong' (重) above, and 'Bao' (寶) below, separated by the square central hole. The characters are boldly rendered in relief against a flat, unadorned field. The coin is encircled by a plain inner rim and an outer raised rim. The overall style is characteristic of mid-Tang Dynasty cast coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 乾元重寶 (Translation: Qian Yuan Zhong Bao / Qianyuan Heavy Currency) |
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| Additional information |
Qianyuan Zhongbao was introduced in 758 under Emperor Suzong as part of a desperate fiscal response to the An Lushan Rebellion, one of the most destructive civil wars in Chinese history. The rebellion had effectively severed Tang control over the northern provinces and their mints, forcing the court to compensate for collapsed tax revenues by issuing overvalued cash — this 50-cash piece being among the most inflated denominations ever sanctioned under Tang authority. The "cloud" variety, distinguished by a specific reverse mark, reflects the multi-mint complexity of this issue.
Predictable debasement followed. By 762 the denomination system had become untenable and was substantially revised.