Coin Dazhong tongbao

A round copper alloy coin with a square hole in the centre, called fangkong qian 方孔錢. These appeared in various denominations, mostly as tongbao 通寶 (“common currency”) coins, which were worth one monetary unit, yuanbao 元寶 (“original currency”) and zhongbao 重寶 (“heavy currency”) which had higher denominations. In many varieties and denominations, such coins had been in circulation as standard money since the time of Emperor Gaozu 高祖 (reigned 618–626), the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). The inscription on the coin usually consists of two characters, reading from top to bottom, indicating the name of the reign or the period in which the coin was minted. The other two characters are to be read from right to left. On the left-hand side of the coin is usually the character bao 寶 (wealth, preciousness), which in combination with the character on the right means “currency” or “money in circulation”. This is usually the character tong 通 (circulate, be uniform, general or universal), but often alsoyuan 元 (origin, basis) or zhong 重 (weight), which usually denote coins with a larger face value. Thus, the entire inscription literally means “money in circulation at the time of this or that emperor” or “in this or that period of a single emperor’s reign”.

During the years of the decline of the Yuan 元 dynasty (1271–1368), several anti-dynastic rebellions broke out in southern China led by various commanders, including Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋 (1328–1398), later Emperor Hongwu 洪武 (reigned 1368–1398) and founder of the Ming 明 Dynasty (1368–1644). With his army, he chose the city of Nanjing (the present capital of Jiangsu Province) as his base and became known as the “Prince of the State of Wu” (Wuguo gong 吳國公). In the area he controlled, he issued coins like the one shown in the photo in years between 1361 and 1368. It is the so-called Dazhong tongbao 大中通寶, where Dazhong 大中 means “Great Central Kingdom”. The coin is slightly worn, and the reverse looks blank or is already so badly worn that the lettering indicating the place of minting is no longer visible. Dazhong tongbao coins remained in use until the official establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the handing over of the dynasty seal in 1368. (MG)