Kai Yuan Tong Bao // Blank. 24mm, 5.00 grams. Hartill -.

Some unusual and rare Kai Yuan cash are found in Sichuan and are usually attributed to the Former Shu dynasty based on the style and find-spots. They don't seem to be published in the standard literature, though they are well-known in the Chinese numismatic market.

The Former Shu dynasty (907–925) was one of the states of China’s Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, ruling the prosperous Sichuan region from its capital at Chengdu. It was founded by Wang Jian, a former Tang military governor who declared himself emperor following the collapse of the Tang dynasty in 907. Protected by Sichuan’s mountainous geography, Former Shu enjoyed considerable prosperity and became an important center of culture and trade. After Wang Jian’s death, however, the state weakened under his son Wang Yan and was conquered by the Later Tang dynasty in 925.