2 cash (denomination) coins that arrived today. Common coins but the largest I have so far bought and pleasing in the hand.
熙宁e宝 - Northern Song, Xi Ning, 2 Cash 1071-1077 Seal Script. 28mm 8.4g and 30mm 8.5g. Beginning in the year 1071, larger denomination coins, initially valued at 10 cash coins each, were produced. These coins were issued during the reign of Emperor Shen Zong to pay for military expenses.
The above is one of these larger cash coins. The inscription reads xi ning zhong bao (熙宁e宝) and is written in seal script.
These coins were gradually devalued to be equal to 3 cash coins and finally to 2 cash coins.
Casting of xi ning zhong bao coins ceased in 1077.
.丰e宝 - Northern Song, Yuan Feng, 2 Cash 1078-1085 Seal Script. 29mm 6.6g and 29mm 8.1g. Shen Zong produced coins in enormous quantities. In one year alone more than 5 million strings of coins were produced. A "string" consisted of 1,000 coins so 5 million strings means that 5 billion cash coins were cast in just one year!
Still cant get the pictures side by side Aghhhhhhhhh.