Item number: A2093

Year: 175-140 BC

Material: Bronze

Size: 21.9 x 21.8 x 0.6 mm

Weight: 1.85 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This coin is identified as the “Si Zhu Ban Liang,” which was likely first cast in the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Wen of the Western Han dynasty (175 BC) and remained in circulation until the first year of the reign of Emperor Wu (140 BC).

The obverse appears to feature an outer rim and an inner border, whereas the reverse lacks such elements. The upper right edge of the coin is cut flat and slightly concave, a result of an error during the removal of the casting sprue following the casting process, wherein an excessive portion was mistakenly broken off. The edges of the square central hole are irregular—commonly referred to as “flower-shaped holes”—which may be attributed either to uneven metal flow during casting or to the absence of subsequent filing and polishing. Additionally, a horizontal stroke is present on the coin’s surface. This may have been intentionally inscribed as a form of marking, or it could be a natural result of contact with calcium-rich groundwater, which caused calcium carbonate to randomly accrete and form a crust on the coin’s face. The inscription on the obverse reads “Ban Liang” (half liang) in seal script, arranged from right to left. Both characters are detached from the rim and border, with angular brushstrokes: the horizontal strokes are thin, while the vertical strokes are thick. The character “Ban” is relatively short in height. The upper vertical stroke of the “che” radical is thinner than the lower one, and the two horizontal strokes are closely spaced, forming a poor structural balance with the upper portion. In the character “Liang,” the two “ren” radicals are abbreviated with a single horizontal stroke that intersects perpendicularly with the central vertical stroke, forming a cross-shaped pattern, often referred to as “crossed Liang.” Coins with this characteristic have been unearthed in various locations in Henan, including Zhenping, Yongcheng, Yiyang, Nanyang, and Xinzheng. Owing to the uneven structure and the inconsistency in stroke thickness, it is likely that this specimen was privately cast.

The term “ban liang” originated during the Warring States period, when such coins originally weighed half a liang (approximately 7.81 grams today). By the late Qin dynasty, their weight had been reduced to eight zhu (approximately 5.21 grams). However, by then, the term “ban liang” no longer referred to either the denomination or actual weight, but instead to the standard form of the coin—round with a square hole in the centre. According to the “Treatise on Food and Money II” in the Book of Han, “In the fifth year of Emperor Xiaowen’s reign, as coins became increasingly numerous and lightweight, the government began recasting four-zhu coins, inscribed with ‘ban liang.’ The ban on private minting was lifted, and the people were permitted to cast coins.” The phrase “coins became increasingly numerous and lightweight” refers to the “elm-seed ban liang” coins of the early Han dynasty, also known as “seed coins,” which were light, thin, and featured large central holes. Although these coins bore the same “ban liang” inscription, their official weight was only three zhu, prompting public dissatisfaction with their lightness. Subsequently, Emperor Wen lifted the ban on coinage, allowing the people to cast “ban liang” coins modelled to weigh four zhu. Consequently, there exists a wide variety of stylistic versions of the Si Zhu Ban Liang, too numerous to enumerate. Nonetheless, due to effective regulation and oversight, the phenomenon of inferior coins driving out superior ones did not materialise. Coins attributed to Emperor Wen’s Si Zhu Ban Liang unearthed in archaeological contexts consistently weigh slightly more than the official standard of four zhu (approximately 2.6 grams). In 140 BC, the first year of the reign of Emperor Wu, the government introduced a new three-zhu coin. That same year, the coinage ban was reinstated, with the edict: “Those who illegally mint any type of metal coin shall be sentenced to death; violations by officials and civilians were too numerous to record.” After several policy reversals, the currency system was eventually unified under the five-zhu coin standard.

Emperor Wen of Han, personal name Liu Heng, was the fifth emperor of the Western Han dynasty and the fourth son of Emperor Gaozu, Liu Bang. He reigned from 179 BC to 157 BC. Upon ascending the throne, he continued the policies of his father Liu Bang, as well as those of his predecessors Emperor Hui and Empress Dowager Lü, adopting a governance style characterised by reduced taxes and corvée obligations, and a philosophy of “reposing the people through rest.” He is regarded as a key figure in the establishment of the “Rule of Wen and Jing.” During his reign, governance was marked by integrity and frugality. He took measures to curtail the power of aristocratic families, reformed the bureaucracy, and placed great emphasis on the fairness and application of law, even personally amending statutes to reduce the severity of punishments. Influenced by the Daoist Huang-Lao school of thought, he advocated for a policy of non-intervention, resulting in a well-stocked treasury, social stability, and improved livelihoods for the populace. He also implemented monetary reforms, such as issuing the “Si Zhu Ban Liang” coin to stabilise the currency system. Emperor Wen’s reign saw no large-scale military campaigns, allowing the state’s overall strength to gradually recover and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent territorial expansion under Emperor Wu. After his death, he was posthumously honoured with the temple name “Wen,” and together with his son Emperor Jing, is remembered as one of the most exemplary rulers of the early Chinese imperial era.

物件編號: A2093

年代: 公元前 175-140 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 21.9 x 21.8 x 0.6 mm

重量: 1.85 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此錢應為「四銖半兩」，可能於西漢文帝前元五年(公元前175年)始鑄，鑄行至武帝建元元年(公元前140年)。

錢幣正面似具外輪內廓，錢背則無，右上幣緣切平稍凹，為澆鑄後去除流銅通道所殘留之鑄柄時，失誤折去過多所致。方穿邊緣不規整，或稱「花穿」，為流銅不均或未經磨鑢所致。錢面又尚有一橫劃，可能為刻意所記，亦可能為曾接觸富鈣之地下水，而使碳酸鈣於幣面隨機處疊附成殼。正面錢文為「半兩」篆書，由右向左順讀。兩字均離輪離廓，筆劃方折，橫筆細、豎筆粗。「半」字稍矮，「屮」旁之上方出頭豎畫細於下方豎劃，二橫劃緊鄰，與首部相隔，結構稍差；「兩」字中二「人」旁，以一橫劃簡筆帶過，與「兩」字中央豎劃垂直交叉成十字，有稱「十字兩」者。該特徵之半兩於河南鎮平、永城、宜陽、南陽、新鄭等地均有出土。因其結構不均，筆劃粗細不一，或為私鑄。

「半兩」錢乃因循秦制，戰國時原實重半兩(約合今7.81公克)之「半兩」，至秦末時已輕至八銖(約合今5.21公克)，惟「半兩」已不再指代面額或重量，而是方孔圓圜形制之錢名。《漢書·食貨志下》有載，「孝文五年，為錢益多而輕，乃更鑄四銖錢，其文為『半兩』。除盜鑄錢令，使民放鑄。」「為錢益多而輕」指漢初鑄行之榆莢半兩錢，或稱莢錢，體輕而薄，穿孔甚大，錢文雖亦為半兩，但法重為三銖，「民患其輕」。後文帝開錢禁，使民得(以一定形制)倣鑄法重四銖之半兩。也因此，四銖半兩版別差異頗多，不可勝數。惟其實重，可能由於制度、督察得宜，反未出現劣幣驅逐良幣之現象，出土之文帝四銖錢反而均重略超法重的四銖(約合今2.6公克)。建元元年(公元前140年)，武帝改鑄三銖錢，同年，復錢禁：「盜鑄諸金錢罪皆死，而吏民之犯者不可勝數。」幾次政策反覆後，終以五銖一統幣制。

漢文帝，名劉恆，為西漢的第五位皇帝，漢高祖劉邦的第四子，於公元前179年至前157年在位。他即位後，延續其父劉邦與前任漢惠帝、呂后的政策，實行「與民休息」、輕徭薄賦的統治方針，被視為「文景之治」的重要開創者之一。漢文帝在位期間，政治清明，節儉自持，努力削弱豪強勢力，整頓吏治，並重視法律的合理性與執行，曾親自改法以減輕刑罰。他採取道家黃老之術治國，強調無為而治，使得國庫充盈，社會安定，百姓得以休養生息。此外，他還推行幣制改革，如鑄行「四銖半兩」錢，以穩定幣制。文帝在位期間未發動大規模戰爭，整體國力逐漸恢復，為後來漢武帝的對外擴張奠定穩固基礎。其去世後廟號「文」，與其子景帝並稱「文景」，合為中國封建王朝早期最著名的治世之一。