CHINA EASTERN HAN Dynasty 25-221 AD WU ZHU

CHINA EASTERN HAN Dynasty 25-221 AD WU ZHU

$35.00

CHINA, EASTERN HAN Dynasty, 25-221 AD, cash, no date, Obverse: WU ZHU, dots on inside of top and on bottom bars of WU, Reverse: inner and outer rims, bronze, 25mm, 2.46g, H10.4v, S-nl, Gratzer-Fishman list several “dot in top and bottom of WU” varieties of the period 146-168 AD. This is a related idea, but it is none of them. aF

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Description

At the end Zhou period Qin state became dominant. Qin Shi Huangdi became first Emperor of united China. The Han Dynasty followed, China grew prosperous. A minister, Wang Mang, usurped the throne 7-25 AD. His administrative experimentation brought famine and war. Han returned. The political situation deteriorated until China broke up into independent regions.

The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets. The main reference I use in attributing and describing these coins is the book: Chinese Cast Coins, by David Hartill.

 

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