Date: Yuan (AD 1271-1368)
Dimensions: Full Length 142.94 mm, Upper Width 101.82 mm, Lower Width 98.55 mm
Material: Silver

• Object Type：
  • COINS
• Location：
  • Chinese Numismatics Gallery
• Tag：
  • yangzhou zhiyuan reign yuan silver sycee ingot

In the 13th year of the Zhiyuan Period (1276), after the Yuan army conquered the Southern Song and returned to Yangzhou, Prime Minister Bo Yan ordered a search of the outfits of the officers and soldiers. The silver ferreted out was cast into ingots, 50 Liang each. The ingots were tribute to the Emperor, who then granted them to the officers and soldiers to make them circulate in the market. Later, the government also began to cast it. The silver ingots of this kind unearthed today are all marked with the date of the 14th year of Zhiyuan Period, with the official titles of the casting units and the names of the artisans stamped. The quantity of the ingots found is small. The ingot was called Yuan Bao (shoe-shaped silver ingot) since it was incised with the words Yuan Bao on the back and later this became an alternate name for ingot.