China – Tang Dynasty
Emperor Xuanzong (Hsuan Tsung), AD 713–756
Kai Yuan Tong Bao Cash
c. AD 750
A classic bronze Cash coin from the Tang Dynasty, issued during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (Hsuan Tsung), one of the most celebrated rulers of imperial China. Dating to approximately c. AD 750, this coin belongs to the famous Kai Yuan Tong Bao series, first introduced in AD 621 and produced for centuries during the Tang period.
The Kai Yuan Tong Bao became one of the most influential coin types in Chinese history and established the standard round form with a square central hole that would continue for more than a thousand years. The square hole allowed coins to be strung together for convenient counting and transportation, making them ideal for China's expanding commercial economy.
The inscription Kai Yuan Tong Bao (“Circulating Treasure of the New Beginning”) reflects the confidence and stability of the early and high Tang era. Coins of Xuanzong's reign were produced during the height of Tang cultural, economic, and political power, when China was a major center of international trade along the Silk Road.
Country: China
Dynasty: Tang Dynasty
Emperor: Xuanzong (Hsuan Tsung), AD 713–756
Date: c. AD 750
Type: Kai Yuan Tong Bao Cash
Metal: Bronze
A historically significant medieval Chinese coin from the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, representing one of the most important and widely recognized coin types in East Asian numismatics.
