SOUTHERN TANG: Tang Guo, 959-961, AE cash (1.62g), H-15.93, orthodox script, VF, ex Adam Yeung Collection. This type was issued by Emperor Yuan Zu (Li Jing). During Li Jing's earlier reign, he expanded Southern Tang's borders by extinguishing smaller neighboring states: Min in 945 and Chu in 951. However, the warfare also exhausted the wealth of the country, leaving it ill-prepared to resist the Later Zhou invasion in 956. Forced to cede all prefectures north of the Yangtze River, he also had to relinquish his title as an emperor and accept Later Zhou's overlordship in 958, and later Song Dynasty's overlordship after 960 when Song succeeded Later Zhou.
Estimate: 40-60 USD