Kai Yuan Tong Bao

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The Kai Yuan Tong Bao was the most extensively produced and widely used coin throughout the 300-year reign of the Tang dynasty in China. Strict government regulation of the minting process led to standardized alloys (the combination of metals making up the coin) and a consistent, recognizable style. The Tang dynasty maintained connections with Central Asia and its diverse peoples and cultures through the interconnected trade routes of the Silk Road. One Central Asian group, the Turgesh, produced many bronze coins in the style of the widespread Tang dynasty coins, copying the square cut-out in the middle. The Turgesh king, known as a khagan, frequently had his tamga (emblem) stamped onto the coin. Along with the presence of Uighur language instead of Chinese, this distinguished the Turgesh coins from their Chinese prototypes. Although the Turgesh dynasty ended in the eighth century, these coins continued to be produced until the tenth, gradually becoming less refined in their inscriptions and decoration over time. Purchased with the Marian Hayes (Class of 1925) Art Purchase FundDigitized by Laura Weston, 2019 - lmweston@mtholyoke.edu