Rare Running Horse Variety

339, Lot: 564. Estimate $150. Sold for $190. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CHINA, Míng dynasty. Sīzōng. AD 1628-1644. Æ Wén (23mm, 2.60 g, 12h). Chong Zhen Tong Bao in kǎishū Hànzì (regular script) characters / Below hole, horse running left. Hartill 20.355. VF, green-gray patina. Rare.

From the J.P. Righetti Collection.

Though various images, including the popular running horse type, are seen on Chinese charms, figures on circulating Chinese coinage are exceedingly rare before the struck issues of the 19th century. The present issue of Sīzōng is one of the few believed to have circulated.