1 Cash - Chongzhen Tongbao; northern type; with year and Qian
12 (1635) year| Brass | - | 24 mm |
| Issuer | Empire of China |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Ming dynasty › Chongzhen (崇祯帝) (1627-1644) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Year | 12 (1635) |
| Calendar | Chinese cyclical (cycle starting in 1624) |
| Value | 1 Cash |
| Currency | Cash (621-1912) |
| Composition | Brass |
| Diameter | 24 mm |
| Shape | Round with a square hole |
| Technique | Cast |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-03 |
| Numista | N#222587 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
One Chinese ideogram above representing a year in the Chinese cyclical calendar and one ideogram (abbreviated) below.
Script: Chinese (traditional, regular script)
Lettering:
乙
錢
Translation:
Yi / Qian
Year 12 / Qian (weight of 1 Cash)
Edge
Plain
Comment
These coins have dates written in the cyclical calendar, which repeats on a 60-year cylce. This partical cycle started in 1624. For each date, there is a combination of two characters used, but for these coins, the second character is omitted (丁 rather than 丁丑).Hartill suggests the larger, heavier coins (around 26 millimetres and weighing 1.3 Qian) were the first 1 Cash pieces produced. By 1630, coins minted in the north weighted 1.0 Qian and coins minted in the south weighed 8 Fen or less.
The Northern types and the Southern types are differenciated by the left part of Zhen.
- Northern types: 礻
- Southern types: 示
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about the Standard circulation coin 1 Cash - Chongzhen (Tongbao; northern type; with year and Qian) 12 (1635) from Empire of China made of Brass is that it was issued during the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor, who was the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. This coin was minted in the northern regions of China and features the year 1635, along with the Qian character, which represents the Qing dynasty that succeeded the Ming dynasty. This coin is a rare and valuable piece of Chinese numismatic history.
