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Message:: [QUOTE="medoraman, post: 2175430, member: 26302"]The Kai Yuan Tong Bao is a very important coin. It was actually the main coin in production when the Tang were at the height of there power, possibly the height of Chinese power ever. This coin was the coin that was used and shown to the Central Asian people when the Chinese first went into Central Asia. As such, to these people, this particular coin was THE Chinese coin they emulated. At first, they made local copies of this coin. Then they started making their own version with a Bukhara tamgha on the reverse. Then all of Sogdia that the Chinese controlled made their own versions of cash coins with their own script and tamghas for the next couple of hundred years, until conquered by Arab tribes. As such, it might be one of the most important Chinese cash coins historically. It doesn't change the fact they are extremely common, but makes them more interesting. Btw, there are quite a few control marks that can be collected on the reverse, and slight style changes. Of course, the most expensive version is the one with the Bukhara tamgha on the reverse. Expect to pay at least $100 for one of those. For common examples, I am sure the postage to mail it to you costs more than the coin, so its a very affordable piece of history to own.[/QUOTE]