Four Chinese characters - Chong Zhen Tong Bao (square head of Tong, two dots (look like small dashes) on Tong) / Blank. 24mm, 2.77 grams. Issued in 1628-1644 AD. Hartill 20.248.

Ex Steve Album, from an old US collection.

The Ming Dynasty or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history, was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Hans. Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops. The Ming dynasty is often regarded as both a high point in Chinese civilization as well as a dynasty in which early signs of capitalism emerged. Although the Ming capital Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng, which was itself soon replaced by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, regimes loyal to the Ming throne (collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662.

This coin is unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic.