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Ming Dynasty,
Chongzhen Tongbao,
(Downward Gong)
明 崇禎通寶
(背下共)
Item number: A349
Year: AD 1627-1644
Material: Brass
Size: 24.6 x 24.6 x 0.8 mm
Weight: 3.05 g
Manufactured by: Gongcheng, Guangxi
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024
This is a “Chongzhen Tongbao” coin, issued during the reign of Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1627-AD 1644). During Chongzhen’s reign, the Ming Empire faced severe internal and external challenges, including peasant uprisings led by Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, as well as the rising threat of the Manchu “Later Jin” regime outside the Great Wall. Desperately in need of funds, Chongzhen significantly increased taxes and decentralised the exclusive minting rights previously held by Beijing and Nanjing to various provinces and units. This decentralisation resulted in a highly diverse range of “Chongzhen Tongbao” coin designs.
This coin has a rather irregular appearance, reflecting the resource shortages and decline during the final years of the empire. On the obverse, the inner rim bears the faintly inscribed Chinese characters “崇禎通寶” (Chongzhen Tongbao). The reverse side features a single Chinese character “Gong” at the bottom, indicating that it was minted in Gongcheng, Guangxi.
The Chongzhen Tongbao coins are notable for their highly varied reverse designs, which often include indicators of weight, cyclical year dates, mint locations, and auspicious phrases. Among these, there is a unique variant featuring an engraved galloping horse. According to one interpretation, this special type was minted by the Chongzhen Emperor, who was born in the Year of the Horse, for good fortune. However, given the historical context of the Ming dynasty’s imminent collapse, it is more widely believed among the populace that this design ominously foretold the impending conquest of Beijing by the rebel leader Li Zicheng, known as the “Dashing King.”
During the late Ming dynasty, the empire was severely impacted by the Little Ice Age, which brought about frequent droughts and famines. In AD 1629, an unemployed postal worker named Li Zicheng joined a band of rebel farmers and soon gained a following among the desperate and destitute, earning the moniker “Dashing King.” By AD 1644, Li Zicheng had captured key cities such as Xi’an, Luoyang, and Kaifeng, and declared himself emperor of the newly established “Shun” dynasty, subsequently launching an attack on the Ming capital, Beijing.
At that time, the Ming dynasty’s elite troops were stationed at the Shanhai Pass to defend against the advancing forces of the Manchus (Later Jin), leaving Beijing poorly defended. Consequently, Li Zicheng’s forces easily breached the capital’s defences. Facing this dire situation, the Chongzhen Emperor ordered the Empress to hang herself and personally killed his daughters. Accompanied by a single eunuch, he then hanged himself on Meishan Hill, thus bringing an end to the 276-year reign of the Ming dynasty.