When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
His Story Treasures Presents
Before the Qing Empire: Nurhaci’s Tian Ming Tong Bao
Later Jin · 1616–1626 · Chinese-Inscription Cash Coin · Bao Cui / CCGA 極美88
The Story
Before the Qing became China’s last imperial dynasty, its future began beyond the Great Wall.
In the northeast, a Jurchen leader named Nurhaci was building a new political power. In 1616, he proclaimed the Later Jin state and adopted the reign title Tian Ming—“Heaven’s Mandate.” The name carried an ambitious message: this new ruler claimed a legitimacy that reached beyond military strength.
The four characters on this coin, 天命通寶, preserve that reign title in metal.
Imagine the uncertainty of that world. The Ming dynasty still ruled from Beijing, while a rising state in the northeast was laying the foundations of a different future. No one handling money of this type could have known the full extent of the transformation ahead.
Nurhaci would not live to see his successors establish their rule in Beijing. His son Hong Taiji adopted the dynastic name Qing in 1636, and Qing forces entered Beijing in 1644. Yet the foundations of that empire had been laid during Nurhaci’s lifetime.
This Tian Ming Tong Bao belongs to that formative chapter: the Later Jin period from which the Qing emerged.
A Reign Name Cast in Metal
The obverse bears the Chinese inscription 天命通寶, read top, bottom, right, and left. The reverse is plain, framing the central square hole with a simple raised border.
Its round form and square opening place it within the long tradition of Chinese cast cash coinage. Its reign title gives it a particular historical identity: a link to Nurhaci and the beginnings of a dynasty that would shape China for centuries.
For a collector building a sequence of Chinese rulers or exploring the transition from Ming to Qing, this issue offers a compelling opening chapter.
The Coin Offered
This example displays dark gray-brown surfaces with scattered green deposits. The inscription remains identifiable, although the characters show uneven definition. Surface roughness and areas of pitting are visible on both sides, particularly on the plain reverse.
Please examine the photographs closely, as they form an essential part of the condition description. The pictured coin and holder are the exact items offered.
Coin Details
* Inscription: 天命通寶 — Tian Ming Tong Bao
* Issuing state: Later Jin, predecessor of the Qing dynasty
* Ruler: Nurhaci, retrospectively honored as Qing Taizu
* Period: 1616–1626, as attributed on the holder
* Denomination: 小平 — 1 cash
* Script: Chinese
* Reverse: Plain
* Diameter: 25.8 mm
* Thickness: 1.6 mm
* Weight: 6.8 g
* Grading company: Bao Cui Coins Rating / CCGA
* Assigned grade: 極美88, as printed on the holder
* Certification number: B0L36A0234
Measurements are taken from the grading label.
Certification
The coin is encapsulated in a Bao Cui / CCGA holder. The accompanying certification-record screenshot displays the same certification number and specifications as the holder.
The grade is quoted using Bao Cui’s own terminology and scale.
Why Collect This Coin?
Its appeal lies in the historical moment it represents: the rise of Nurhaci’s Later Jin state and the origins of the Qing empire. The Chinese inscription, square-hole format, and surviving surface details make that history tangible.
It is a small object connected to an immense change in China’s story.
Shipping & Returns
Your coin will be carefully packed to protect its holder during shipment.
We offer a 14-day return period from receipt, including if you simply change your mind. Please return the coin with its original holder intact and in the condition received.
His Story Treasures
Every coin holds a story. Continue its journey.
