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Uncertain Cash - Xiangfu Yuanbao
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Year | 1008-1016 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Cash (621-1912) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Reverse description | Plain uniface reverse featuring a central square perforation (穿) surrounded by a raised inner rim and a matching raised outer rim. The broad flat field between the two rims is entirely blank and devoid of any inscription, symbol, or mint mark, consistent with standard Northern Song cash coinage practice. The surface shows typical casting texture with areas of mineral encrustation consistent with age. |
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| Additional information |
Xiangfu Yuanbao was cast during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, whose Xiangfu era (1008–1016) coincided with the humiliating aftermath of the Shanyuan Treaty of 1005 — an agreement that compelled the Song court to pay annual tribute in silver and silk to the Liao dynasty in exchange for peace. The fiscal strain of that arrangement shaped monetary policy throughout Zhenzong's later reign. Hartill 16.56 distinguishes this type within a series that saw considerable variation in calligraphic style across different foundries, and attribution of individual pieces to specific casting sites remains unresolved.