Item number: A2052

Year: AD 510-528

Material: Bronze

Size: 21.3 x 21.7 x 0.3 mm

Weight: 1.1 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This coin is presumed to be a “Yongping Wuzhu”, first minted in the third year of the Yongping reign of the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 510). Its circulation and production likely continued into the reign of Emperor Xiaoming (AD 515–528), particularly in the capital and neighbouring prefectures.

The obverse of the coin features an outer rim without an inner border. The outer rim is uneven, and the interior is rough in texture. Notably, the square central hole exhibits an irregular “flower-shaped” form, which may have resulted from an error during the casting process—that is, the mould was not fully filled before cooling and solidification occurred. The inscription reads “wuzhu” (“five zhu”); the character “wu” (“five”) shows intersecting vertical strokes, with the two horizontal lines not extending forward. The script is slender in structure, with bold, forceful brushstrokes. The reverse bears neither rim nor border, possibly due to surface abrasion.

According to the “Treatise on Food and Money” in the “Book of Wei”, “In the winter of the third year of the Yongping reign under Emperor Shizong, wuzhu coins were again minted.” The earliest issues of the Yongping Wuzhu were relatively thick and heavy; however, subsequent minting saw increasing degradation in quality. The coins became inconsistent in size and weight, and inferior privately cast imitations entered circulation alongside official currency.

At the time of acquisition, this coin was catalogued as part of the Six Dynasties coinage.

物件編號: A2052

年代: 公元 510-528 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 21.3 x 21.7 x 0.3 mm

重量: 1.1 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此錢應為「永平五銖」，於北魏永平三年(公元510年)始鑄，至孝明帝之世(公元515-528)，京師及附近州郡或仍有鑄行。

錢幣正面有外輪而無內廓，外輪不均，內廓粗糙，並且出現了方孔不規整的花穿現象，可能為製作過程中失誤所致，即錢範未及鑄滿旋冷卻。錢文為「五銖」，「五」字直筆交股，二橫畫並未前出，字形細長，筆劃粗壯。錢背無輪無廓，或經磨損。

《魏書·食貨志》載：「世宗永平三年冬，又鑄五銖錢」，初鑄之永平五銖，錢體較為厚重，此後鑄造漸濫，錢體大小不一、輕重懸殊，與私鑄劣錢混雜行於市場。

此錢幣入藏時註記為六朝錢幣。