2 Cash Yongli (Tongbao; Seal Script)

The 2 Cash Yongli Tongbao was minted during the final years of the Southern Ming dynasty, a period marked by desperate attempts to reclaim territory from the invading Qing forces. Issued in 1661, these coins were produced under the regime of the Yongli Emperor, Zhu Youlang, as he sought to maintain financial legitimacy and support his loyalist armies during his retreat into southwestern China and eventually Burma. The issuance of larger denominations like the 2 Cash reflects the severe economic pressures and bullion shortages common to collapsed dynastic regimes.

The design features the four-character inscription 'Yongli Tongbao' written in a distinct seal script, a deliberate aesthetic choice intended to evoke the authority and traditional legitimacy of the Ming state. These coins were typically cast in bronze or brass using sand-casting methods, often resulting in varying levels of detail and quality depending on the specific foundry location. While they were intended for circulation to stabilize the military economy, they remain significant today as tactile witnesses to the closing chapter of the Ming dynasty's defiance against the established Qing order.