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Fractional cash - Zhizhi Yuanbao, temple coin
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1321-1323 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Central square hole surrounded by a plain raised inner rim, with four Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu) arranged in cruciform fashion reading 至治元寶 (Zhizhi Yuanbao) — one character in each quadrant. The characters are boldly cast in raised relief against a flat field. The coin is framed by a plain raised outer rim. The overall style is characteristic of Yuan dynasty small cash issues, with compact, well-formed calligraphy typical of the Zhizhi era (1321–1323). |
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| Reverse description | Plain reverse featuring a central square hole enclosed by a raised inner rim and a raised outer rim, with a broad, flat, unadorned field between them. No inscription, symbol, or decorative element is present. The smooth, unembellished reverse is entirely typical of fractional cash coinage of the Yuan dynasty, where the reverse serves purely as a functional surface without additional design. |
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| Additional information |
Zhizhi was the final reign period of Yingzong, the fourteenth emperor of the Yuan dynasty, who was murdered in the Nanpo Incident of 1323 — an assassination carried out by a faction of Mongol nobles opposed to his Confucian-influenced reforms. Coins bearing this reign title circulated for barely two years. The "temple coin" designation reflects a category produced for religious or ritual use rather than everyday commerce, which accounts in part for the survival of examples in comparatively fine condition.
Hartill 19.59 is among the scarcer fractional Yuan bronzes.