CHINA WANG MANG 7-22 AD DA QUAN WU SHI cut down
$15.00
CHINA, WANG MANG, 7-22 AD, 50 cash, Obverse: DA QUAN WU SHI, Reverse: inner and outer rims, bronze, 15mm, 0.9g, cut down from larger but still small coin, H9.4v, ex George Fisher collection, F
1 in stock
Description
Wang Mang was a relative of the Han Emperor, was appointed regent to the child emperor Ruzi in 7 AD, usurped the throne in 9 AD, and embarked on a series of financial and administrative reforms that mostly didn’t work. His reign ended in famine and rebellions that brought back the Han dynasty.
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.
