Bronze 1621-27 cash, Emperor Xi Zong , Ming dynasty, China (H#20.180)

Four Chinese characters - Tian Qi Tong Bao / Blank. 23.5mm, 3.98 grams. Hartill 20.180.

Tianqi Emperor ruled China from 1620 to 1627 during a period of growing internal and external challenges. Ascending the throne at a young age, he showed little interest in government affairs and devoted much of his time to carpentry and craftsmanship. As a result, power fell increasingly into the hands of the influential eunuch Wei Zhongxian, whose dominance was marked by corruption and political purges. Tianqi's reign saw mounting fiscal problems, peasant unrest, and pressure from the rising Manchus, developments that contributed to the eventual collapse of the Ming dynasty a few decades later.