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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Chongzhen Tongbao is a type of currency from the Ming Dynasty, first minted in the first year of Chongzhen (1628) by Emperor Ming Yi Zong Zhu Youjian. According to the "Continuation of the Comprehensive Examination of Documents," in the twelfth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works introduced the new Chongzhen currency. The emperor ordered that each coin should weigh one qian three fen (approximately 3.75 grams) and should have a splendid appearance, without the need to inscribe the words "Ministry of Works." The script on the coins was in regular script, and the character "通" in "Tongbao" could have either a single dot or a double dot. There were four main types of Chongzhen Tongbao coins: Xiaoping, Dang Er, Dang Wu, and Dang Shi, with Xiaoping coins having a diameter of generally 2.2 to 2.6 centimeters (the largest measured at 2.6 centimeters) and weighing around 3 to 6 grams. Dang Er coins had a diameter of about 2.7 centimeters and weighed 3.7 grams. The inscription "崇祯通宝" was written in regular script and read from top to bottom, right to left. On the reverse side of the coins, there were stars and moons, and some had a horse running pattern, commonly known as "running horse Chongzhen." Additionally, there were coins with Manchu script on the reverse side, which were said to be minted when the Qing army entered the pass. Some suspect that these might have been privately minted coins. Xiaoping, Zhe Er, and Zhe Wu coins had complex and varied inscriptions on the reverse side, including weight inscriptions, celestial stems, administrative divisions, geographical locations, combined administrative divisions and values, auspicious phrases, and many more. Among these, the most common were the Guangbei (light reverse) coins and the Ji Di Ping (record geographical location) coins. |