Zhaona Xinbao
Southern Song Dynasty, China | |
| Mass | 5 g |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 26 mm |
| Composition | Bronze, rare instances in silver and gold |
| Years of minting | 1131 (Shaoxing 1) |
| Circulation | Limited, not meant for general circulation |
| Obverse | |
| Design | "Zhaona Xinbao" (招納信寶), "To beckon, to admit, to trust, treasure" |
| Design date | 1131 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | "Shi" (使) and possibly "Shang" (上), indicating an official mission and possibly a signature |
| Design date | 1131 |
The Zhaona Xinbao (traditional Chinese: 招納信寶; simplified Chinese: 招纳信宝; pinyin: zhāo nà xìn bǎo; lit. 'Treasure (coin) that serves as a letter of introduction') is a special type of Southern Song dynasty cash coin developed as a propaganda and psychological warfare tool for recruiting defectors from the army of the Jurchen Jin dynasty around the year Shaoxing 1 (or the Gregorian year 1131) under the reign of Emperor Gaozong. These special coins superficially resemble traditional Chinese cash coins but contain an inscription alluding to their intent, generally these Zhaona Xinbao tokens were made from bronze but in very rare cases they were also made from silver or gold.