Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事！
Three Kingdoms Period and Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties,
Wu Zhu,
Goose-eye Coin
魏晉南北朝
五銖
鵝眼錢
Item number: A2231
Year: AD 257-589
Material: Bronze
Size: 14.5 x 15.9 x 1.0 mm
Weight: 0.65 g
Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015
This coin is believed to be a privately cast “wu zhu” (五銖) from the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, commonly referred to as “goose-eye money”. According to historical records, it was first minted in AD 465 during the first year of the Jinghe reign of the Liu Song dynasty. However, archaeological evidence indicates its presence in tombs dating back to the Cao Wei period (approximately AD 257 to 316).
The coin is small in diameter with a disproportionately large central hole. The obverse bears a raised outer rim and inner border, while the reverse lacks these features. The obverse inscription, intended to be read from right to left as “wu zhu”, mimics the style of clipped late Han coins to allow for reduced size. Half of the coin body, including part of the inscription, has been deliberately trimmed, leaving only the character “zhu” in a distorted “Σ” shape. Unlike authentic clipped coins, goose-eye coins were cast directly in this reduced form to imitate the clipped appearance. Casting flaws are evident: surplus bronze remains along the edges, burrs are visible, and an unfiled casting sprue remains on the upper right, all of which attest to its crude production.
The “Book of Song”, in the biography of Yan Jun, records: “In the first year of Jinghe, Shen Qingzhi petitioned to legalise private minting. Thereafter, currency fell into disorder. A thousand coins measured no more than three inches in total length. This size became the standard, and such coins were called goose-eye money. Those of even poorer quality were called “yian huan” (綖環) coins; they would not sink in water and crumbled easily when handled.” The “Book of Sui”, under the Treatise on Food and Commodities, states: “In the late Liang, there were also two-pillar coins and goose-eye coins, which were used indiscriminately by the populace and held the same value. However, the two-pillar coins were heavier, and the goose-eye coins lighter; households often melted them down.” The “Book of Wei”, likewise in the Treatise on Food and Commodities, records: “Chicken-eye and ring-chiselled coins were regulated and prohibited.” Alongside extensive archaeological discoveries from tombs, these sources demonstrate the long circulation, wide dissemination, and detrimental impact of goose-eye coins.
Goose-eye coins represent a type of inferior, privately cast wu zhu coin produced during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. They are small, thin, and fragile, named for their resemblance to a goose’s eye due to their broad central hole and thin surrounding rim. Their emergence reflects the collapse of monetary institutions and the severe contraction of currency supply. Amid widespread warfare and inadequate official minting, regimes repeatedly issued high-denomination or poor-quality coinage. At the same time, quality coins from earlier periods were hoarded or damaged through clipping, resulting in a significant reduction in the quantity of currency in circulation. The resultant monetary confusion, wherein coinage failed to function as a reliable medium of exchange or standard of value, typifies the broader economic environment of the period—one dominated by natural economy and barter.
Some scholars have posited that such small, poor-quality coins originated with the wu zhu coins minted during Dong Zhuo’s regime. However, historical accounts concerning Dong Zhuo’s coinage are inconsistent—some describing illegible inscriptions, others noting the absence of inscriptions altogether. Given the lack of consensus, this theory is provisionally not adopted.
