Tianqi Tongbao

Beschrijving voorzijde	Central square perforation surrounded by four large Chinese characters in regular script (kaishu), arranged in cruciform reading order: 天 (tiān) at top, 通 (tōng) at right, 啟 (qǐ) at bottom, and 寶 (bǎo) at left, together forming the reign-title legend 天啟通寶. The characters are boldly cast in high relief against a flat, recessed field. A broad, plain raised rim encircles the entire face, typical of Chinese cash-coin tradition.
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Beschrijving keerzijde	Log in om details te zien
Schrift keerzijde	Log in om details te zien
Opschrift keerzijde	二 (Translation: Two)
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Aanvullende informatie	Tianqi Tongbao is a Ming dynasty cash coinage issued under the Tianqi Emperor, who reigned from 1620 to 1627. Tianqi was notoriously disengaged from governance, preferring carpentry to court affairs, and real power sat with the eunuch Wei Zhongxian — one of the most powerful and reviled figures in Ming history. Coin production under this reign was erratic, plagued by underfunding and bureaucratic dysfunction as the dynasty's finances deteriorated under military pressure from the Jurchen north. At 53 mm, this is a large-denomination issue. Such oversized cash were produced in limited quantities and circulated poorly due to their unwieldy size.