Shengbao

The currency of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (traditional Chinese: 聖寶; simplified Chinese: 圣宝; pinyin: Shèngbǎo; lit. 'Holy treasure')^[1] consisted of Chinese cash coins and paper money,^[2] although the rarity of surviving Taiping paper money suggests that not much was produced. The first cash coins of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were issued in the year 1853 in the capital of Tianjing (present day Nanjing). The cash coins of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom should not be confused with the Taiping Tongbao (太平通寳) which was issued during the Northern Song dynasty between the years 976 and 997,^[3] or with any other contemporary rebel coinage that also bear this inscription.^[4]

Most cash coins issued by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were made from bronze with a smaller quantity being made from either iron or lead. Taiping rebellion cash coins made from either gold or silver are also known to exist but are extremely rare.^[5][6] The reason why the Shengbao tend to be very diverse is because the central government of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had allowed local power-holders within their realm to produce their own cash coins within their jurisdiction.