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Fractional cash - Zhiyuan Tongbao, 'Phags-pa script, temple coin
| Issuer | Imperial Mint of the Yuan Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1285-1294 |
| 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 | 1.61 g |
| 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 |
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| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (1285-1294) - Small size (20 mm) - ND (1285-1294) - Very small size (14 mm) - |
| Additional information |
Zhiyuan Tongbao fractional cash were issued under Kublai Khan as part of a broader monetary policy that increasingly favored paper currency — the jiaochao — over metal coinage. These small bronzes occupied an awkward position in that system, tolerated rather than promoted. The 'Phags-pa script used here was commissioned by Kublai directly from the Tibetan monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa in 1269, intended as a universal script across the multilingual empire. It never achieved that ambition.
The "temple coin" designation reflects probable use as ritual or votive objects rather than everyday exchange — consistent with the surviving population, which shows minimal wear.