Ying Tian Yuan Bao
1 cash coin

Vladimir Belyaev
February 14, 2000
Obverse:
Ying Tian Yuan Bao
Reverse: simplified ancient character Wan 'Ten thousand'

Diameter: 24.5 mm
Weight: 4.4 g
Metal: copper (my scanner works not very good now :-( so image have greenish color)
In the Cash coin index, compiled by W.Op den Velde, we can found the next information:
    Western Hsia dynasty
    Emperor Hsiang Tsung (1206-1210 A.D.)
    Period Ying Tien (1206-1210 A.D.)
But coin shown in this index have not any characters at the reverse.
Vladimir Belyaev, 26-Feb-2000:
    Ying Tian Yuan Bao image from the Arthur Braddan Coole's book Coins in China's History, 1965.
    Coole's note: "Epoch of the Five Dynasties, Circa 911 AD but state unknown".
    Shown in this book coin have different calligraphy and size 30 mm.
Vladimir Belyaev, 15-Feb-2000:
    1 cash Ying Tian Yuan Bao coin published in the Ding Fu Bao, Gu Qian Da Zu Tian [Enciclopedia of old coins]. Shanghai, 1938, page 368a.
    There are no any attribution of this coin.

    It can be seen that calligraphy of the shown coin is quite different from the coin published by Ding (especially Yuan and Bao characters).
Message from Andrew Turner, 14-Feb-2000:
    I don't know if this information will be useful but the only references to Ying Tian Yuan Bao that I have found in three Chinese texts refer to the 5 Dynasties period (911-913).
    One source refers to the obverse being inscribed with the wu (five) character and another source refers to an obverse bearing the wan (10,000) character.
    I have sent a copy of the image of the coin. I apologise for the quality of the image, it is a copy of a photograph. The calligraphy on this coin is very different from yours.
    References:
    1. The Complete Collection of Chinese Ancient Coins (Zhongguo gu qian da xi)
    Ed: He zhi yong
    Xi nan Finance and Economics University publishers, Chengdu, Sichuan 1997, page 314

    2. Catalogue of Ancient Chinese Coins (Zhongguo gu qian mu lu)
    Ed: Gu Quan
    Beijing Science and Technology Publishers 1998, page 157

Vladimir Belyaev, 14-Feb-2000:
    Coin mentioned by Andrew Turner is large 5 cash (37 mm) coin indexed in the Ding Fu Bao's catalogue under number 848.
Any additional information highly appreciated.
Chinese Coinage Web Site