Item number: A2064

Year: 221-207 BC

Material: Bronze

Size: 24.0 x 23.6 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 2.55 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps & Coins Collection 2015

This is a Ban Liang coin minted between 221 and 207 BC, following the unification of the six states by Qin Shi Huang and the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. The Ban Liang coin, which had been in circulation since the Warring States period and continued to be used in the Qin state, was eventually replaced by the Wuzhu coin during the Western Han Dynasty. The Ban Liang’s round shape with a square hole set a precedent for Chinese coinage, influencing the design of subsequent dynastic currencies until the 20th century, when European-style machine-struck coins replaced traditional casting methods.

The coin follows the typical square-holed design and is made of bronze. The right side of the coin retains a casting seam from the minting process, which has not been completely filed down. On the obverse side, the characters “半兩” (Ban Liang) are inscribed in seal script, a style commonly used on bronze artefacts during the Warring States period. The reverse side is blank, without any inscriptions or decorative elements.

The Ban Liang established the fundamental round shape with a square hole, which influenced the design of Chinese coinage in subsequent dynasties. This form persisted as the standard monetary design in China until the 20th century, when it was ultimately supplanted by European-style mechanised minting techniques.

The Ban Liang was a round coin used as currency within the State of Qin during the reign of King Huiwen of Qin in the Warring States period. Following the unification of China in 221 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the Ban Liang became the standard currency throughout the empire. It remained in circulation until the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, when it was eventually replaced by the Wu Zhu coin.

物件編號: A2064

年代: 公元前 221-207 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 24.0 x 23.6 x 0.7 mm

重量: 2.55 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚公元前221至207年，秦始皇統一六國建立秦朝之後，延續其戰國時代鑄造的半兩錢。半兩是自戰國時代以來，從秦國一路延伸使用到西漢遭到五銖錢取代的錢幣類別，其奠定的圓形方孔影響後續中國各個朝代的錢幣造型，直到公元20世紀遭到歐式機械鑄幣取代為止。

錢幣形制為典型的方孔錢，材質為青銅。錢幣右側有鑄模時留下的銅邊，並未打磨殆盡。錢幣正面的右側和左側，分別以戰國時代流行於青銅器上的篆書鐫刻「半兩」二字。錢幣背面為光背，沒有任何文字或圖案。

半兩為戰國時代秦惠文王統治時期，於秦國境內流通的圓形貨幣。隨著公元前221年，秦始皇建立中國歷史上第一個統一的王朝，半兩也為通行於全國的貨幣直到西漢武帝之際，方才為五銖錢取代。