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Historical · China
Qianlong Tongbao cash
A worn Chinese cash coin with a square central opening. The four Chinese characters on the front are paired with the Bao Shan mint inscription on the back.
Flip this coin →Free to flip. Two sides. Equal chances.
The story behind the coin
The paired source photographs identify this specimen as Qianlong Tongbao with Bao Shan on the reverse. The front arranges 乾隆通寶 around the square hole, while the back carries the mint inscription in Manchu. Its exact casting year is not established by the source. The brown surface, worn lettering and square opening come from the original photographs, with no reconstruction of the engraving.
Which side is heads?
- Heads
- 乾隆通寶 arranged around the square hole.
- Tails
- The Manchu Bao Shan mint inscription on either side of the square hole.
A different coin. The same fair toss.
The artwork changes, but every virtual toss still has a 50/50 chance of heads or tails. We simulate the movement; the result is chosen independently. This is not a simulation of the physical balance of a historical coin.
Images: Pavel Rybin, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped, background removed and resized; original colors and engraving retained. Image license ↗ View source record ↗