Item number: A2871

Year: 175-140 BC

Material: Bronze

Size: 16.0 x 14.6 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 2.2 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a monetary weight from the Western Han dynasty, used to weigh the circulating “four-zhu banliang” coins of the time.

The weight takes the form of a horizontal rectangular plaque, with a protruding section at the top bearing a perforation, enabling it to be suspended from a balance beam. The obverse is inscribed with the characters “Xi □”, which, when compared with inscriptions found on coins, are likely to be read from left to right in reverse. The second character is severely eroded and illegible; characters with vaguely similar structures include “Bi” (畢), “Zhou” (周), or “Gu” (固), though these are offered only for reference. According to similar unearthed coin weights, this inscription may refer either to a place name or to the name of an official.

The reverse is engraved with the characters “Si zhu” (四朱), a variant form of “Si zhu” (四銖, meaning “four zhu”), also to be read from left to right in reverse. In practical use, the coin and its corresponding weight would be threaded together with a string, which would be placed at a designated mark on the beam of the balance to determine the correct weight. This coin-weighing method formed a crucial part of the laissez-faire minting policy implemented during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han. Archaeological analysis indicates that the average quality of coins minted during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing was significantly higher than that of the early Han period and even superior to coins produced under Emperor Wu and his successors.

The reason the monetary system did not suffer a collapse in overall credibility—unlike many other dynasties plagued by rampant private minting—may lie precisely in the strict enforcement of this coin-weighing system. It prevented inferior coins from mingling undetected among superior ones, as their discrepancies would be revealed in the course of weighing, effectively resulting in a phenomenon opposite to Gresham’s Law, wherein good money drove out bad.

Emperor Wen of Han, named 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, as well as those of Emperor Hui and Empress Dowager Lü, adopting a governance style marked by minimal taxation and lenient labour obligations, with the aim of allowing the people to recuperate from the ravages of war. He is regarded as one of the principal architects of the “Rule of Wen and Jing”.

Emperor Wen’s reign was characterised by political clarity, personal frugality, and a concerted effort to restrain the power of local magnates and reform bureaucratic administration. He placed strong emphasis on the rationality and enforcement of law, even personally revising statutes to reduce the severity of punishments. Following the Daoist philosophy of Huang-Lao, he governed by non-intervention, which led to a prosperous treasury, social stability, and improved living conditions for the populace. His economic policies included monetary reform, notably the minting of the “four-zhu banliang” coin to stabilise the currency system.

Throughout his reign, he refrained from launching large-scale military campaigns, allowing the national economy and strength to recover steadily, thereby laying a solid foundation for the expansionist policies pursued by Emperor Wu. After his death, he was given the temple name “Wen” and, together with his son Emperor Jing, is remembered as part of one of the most renowned periods of good governance in the early imperial history of China.

物件編號: A2871

年代: 公元前 175-140 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 16.0 x 14.6 x 1.6 mm

重量: 2.2 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚西漢時，用以秤量當時流通之四銖半兩的錢權(即砝碼)。

錢權形制為一橫向方牌，上方突起並穿孔，以便繫於衡上。正面刻有「西□」參考錢背，應亦為自左向右逆讀。第二字漫漶不清，無法識讀，稍微接近的字形可能有畢、周、固等，聊備參考。按其他出土錢權，此處或為紀地，或為紀名。背面刻有「四朱」，即「四銖」，自左向右逆讀。

於使用時，錢與錢權當以繩穿孔繫之，繩於指定的刻度上，以此分辨輕重。秤錢法為西漢文帝施行放任私鑄政策的重要一環，以出土實物分析，文、景帝時期錢幣平均品質遠高於漢初，亦高於武帝及以後。之所以貨幣市場未像歷朝歷代受私人濫鑄而降低貨幣整體信用，可能原因正在於秤錢法的嚴格執行，使得劣幣無法於良幣中濫竽充數，會在交易過程中被揭露，反而起到了「良幣驅除劣幣」的效果。

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。