Item number: A2256

Year: AD 147-190

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.4 x 25.2 x 0.9 mm

Weight: 2.75 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This coin is believed to be a privately cast Wu Zhu coin from the late Eastern Han period.

The coin has a round shape with a square central hole. The obverse features an outer rim but lacks an inner border. The inscription reads “Wu Zhu” in seal script, oriented from right to left. The character “Wu” is rendered with curved strokes; its lines are thick, and the upper and lower horizontal strokes slightly extend outward. The character “Zhu” is obscure and indistinct, with only the “Zhu” radical faintly discernible—its initial stroke is short, and the final stroke is long, rounded, and curved. The coin retains casting seams and excess metal, which have not been trimmed or filed. Due to its deformed inscription, inconsistent stroke thickness, and poor casting quality, this coin is presumed to be a privately cast issue from the late Eastern Han period.

Wu Zhu coins of the Eastern Han were first minted in the seventeenth year of Emperor Guangwu’s Jianwu reign (AD 41), inheriting the monetary system of the Western Han and aiming to restore order to the economy following the turmoil under Wang Mang. Over time, however, the quality of the bronze, craftsmanship, calligraphy, and weight all gradually declined. In the first year of the Chuping reign under Emperor Xian (AD 190), Dong Zhuo began casting Wu Zhu coins in excess, ultimately destroying the integrity of the official coinage system. As a result, government-issued currency lost public trust, and the monetary economy collapsed.

物件編號: A2256

年代: 公元 147-190 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.4 x 25.2 x 0.9 mm

重量: 2.75 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

此錢應為東漢晚期私鑄之五銖錢。

錢體外圓方穿。錢面有外輪而無內廓，錢文為「五銖」篆書，由右向左順讀。「五」字曲筆，筆劃粗大，上下橫微出；「銖」字則漫漶不清，僅「朱」旁隱約可見，大約為首短尾長，筆劃圓折。毛邊與餘銅未磨鑢規整。此錢面文變形、筆劃粗細不均、鑄工不精，應為東漢晚期私鑄。

東漢五銖錢始鑄於光武帝建武十七年(公元41年)，承西漢錢制，整理王莽亂後經濟。然鑄行日久，銅質、工藝、字形、重量均漸差。獻帝初平元年(公元190年)，董卓濫鑄五銖，終壞五銖錢制，使官錢再無法取信於民，貨幣經濟崩潰。