His Story Treasures Presents
Da Qi Tong Bao (大齐通宝)
A Coin Born from Rebellion – Southern Tang, 10th Century
Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms Era
Certified Zhengu Grading Extremely Fine 88
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🏛 A Coin of Rebellion and Ambition
Few coins capture the drama of medieval China as vividly as Da Qi Tong Bao (大齐通宝).
During the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960 AD), China was divided among rival states, warlords, and ambitious generals. Power shifted constantly, and rulers often proclaimed new dynasties in their quest for the Mandate of Heaven.
One such dramatic episode occurred in 943 AD within the kingdom of Southern Tang (南唐).
A powerful military commander named Xu Zhigao (徐知诰) had already seized power from the earlier Wu kingdom and established Southern Tang. Yet within the court, tensions remained high among competing factions and regional military leaders.
During this unstable period, a rebel faction briefly proclaimed the restoration of the ancient Qi (齐) state, invoking one of the most prestigious names in Chinese history — the powerful Qi kingdom of the Zhou dynasty era.
To legitimize this rebellion, coins were cast bearing the bold inscription:
大齐通宝 — “Great Qi Circulating Treasure.”
These coins served as both currency and propaganda — a declaration that a new political order had arrived.
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⚔ A Kingdom That Almost Was
The dream of restoring Great Qi did not last long.
The Southern Tang court quickly suppressed the rebellion, and the regime that issued the Da Qi Tong Bao disappeared almost as quickly as it emerged.
Because this political movement was short-lived, the coins associated with it were produced only briefly. As a result, surviving examples are significantly rarer than the long-running coinages of later dynasties.
What remains today are these remarkable artifacts — small bronze witnesses to one of the many struggles for power during China’s most fragmented era.
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⚒ The Coin & Its Craftsmanship
This coin features the inscription:
大齐通宝
“Great Qi Circulating Treasure”
The characters are boldly cast around the traditional square central hole, following the classic Chinese cosmological design representing “round heaven and square earth.”
Notable characteristics:
• Thick bronze casting typical of early medieval Chinese coinage
• Elegant yet powerful calligraphy
• Natural green patina developed over more than 1,000 years
These coins were produced using traditional sand-casting techniques, the dominant minting method of Chinese cash coins for over two millennia.
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💎 Why Collectors Treasure It
Coins of the Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms period are prized by collectors because:
• Many regimes lasted only a few years or decades
• Coin mintages were often small and regional
• Each coin represents a distinct political story
The Da Qi Tong Bao is especially fascinating because it represents a failed attempt to establish a new dynasty, making it both historically dramatic and numismatically significant.
For collectors of Chinese history, these coins are tangible reminders of a time when emperors, generals, and rebels all fought to claim the Mandate of Heaven.
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📏 Specifications
Dynasty: Southern Tang (南唐)
Historical Period: Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms
Type: Da Qi Tong Bao (大齐通宝)
Material: Bronze
Diameter: 28.2 mm
Thickness: 2.3 mm
Weight: 8.9 g
Certification: Zhengu Grading Service
Grade: 极美 88 (Extremely Fine)
Certification Number: 12506113
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🔎 Condition
A well-preserved example showing:
• Clear and bold characters
• Attractive natural patina
• Strong casting typical of early medieval coinage
• Professionally authenticated and encapsulated
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🌏 From the Collection of His Story Treasures
At His Story Treasures, every coin represents a chapter in the story of civilization.
The Da Qi Tong Bao is not merely a coin — it is a relic of ambition, rebellion, and the struggle for power during one of the most turbulent periods in Chinese history.
More than a thousand years later, this small bronze artifact still carries the echo of that dramatic moment when a new kingdom briefly dared to proclaim itself “Great Qi.”