Item number: A2060

Year: AD 510-528

Material: Bronze

Size: 23.4 x 22.4 x 0.5 mm

Weight: 1.9 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 displays an outer rim without an inner border. The outer rim is uneven, and the area where the inner border would typically appear is coarse. Residual bronze has not been removed, resulting in burrs along the edges. There also appears to be evidence of mould misalignment, as indicated by the offset position of the central perforation. The inscription reads “Wu Zhu”. The strokes of the character “Wu” connect with a slight curvature; the two horizontal strokes do not extend forward beyond the character’s vertical axis. The overall form is slightly elongated, and the strokes are somewhat thick. In the character “Zhu”, the initial stroke of the “Jin” radical curves slightly inward, and the strokes are relatively thin. On the reverse, both the outer rim and inner border are present; however, their width is inconsistent, and the surface is relatively flat.

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: A2060

年代: 公元 510-528 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 23.4 x 22.4 x 0.5 mm

重量: 1.9 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，流銅未除而有毛邊，且似有錯範現象，即穿孔位置有偏差。錢文為「五銖」，「五」字交筆微曲，二橫畫並未前出，字形略長，筆劃略粗壯；「銖」金旁首部向內微彎，筆劃較細。錢背輪廓俱全，惟寬度不均且平夷。

《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。