Item number: A3875

Year: AD 24-25

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.4 x 25.9 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 2.85 g

Provenance: Spink 2023

This coin should be identified as a Wu Zhu cash coin of the early Eastern Han period, cast and circulated under Emperor Gengshi, and modelled on the form of the Three-Office Wu Zhu of the late Western Han.

The coin conforms to the traditional round form with a square central aperture characteristic of Sinosphere. On the obverse there is an outer rim but no inner border. The reverse bears both an outer rim and an inner border; the inner border exhibits faint traces of four corner notches, while the field is plain and devoid of inscription. The legend reads “wu zhu” in seal script, arranged in regular order from right to left. The character wu (五) is executed with curved strokes, structurally comparable to late Western Han examples, though more slender and elongated in proportion. In the character zhu (銖), the zhu (朱) component displays angular yet slightly rounded turns in the strokes; the left side of the strokes appears thinner and the right side thicker, suggesting a possible overlapping or doubled inscription effect. Beneath the character wu there is a short horizontal line. Although the coin edge has been filed, it retains a slight curvature, differing from the smooth and straight edges typical of Western Han wu zhu issues.

Emperor Gengshi, personal name Liu Xuan and style name Shenggong, was a descendant of the Western Han imperial house who rose amid the widespread turmoil at the end of Wang Mang’s Xin regime. During the Dihuang era, anti-Xin forces emerged across the empire; the Lülin armies were active in the Jingzhou region, and Liu Xuan was selected as emperor, adopting the reign title Gengshi. His regime defeated major Xin forces and entered the Guanzhong region in AD 23, subsequently establishing the capital at Chang’an, after which Wang Mang’s regime rapidly collapsed. Following the establishment of the Gengshi government, former Lülin leaders and local magnates were appointed, while many officials of the former Xin administration were purged; however, military discipline was lax and rewards and punishments were inconsistently applied, preventing effective integration of forces in Guanzhong and the eastern regions. Meanwhile, the Red Eyebrows grew in strength, relations with the Gengshi regime deteriorated, supplies in Guanzhong became scarce, and popular unrest occurred frequently. In AD 25, the Red Eyebrows entered Chang’an; Emperor Gengshi surrendered and was subsequently killed. His regime was short-lived and failed to re-establish stable central authority.

物件編號: A3875

年代: 公元 24-25 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.4 x 25.9 x 1.1 mm

重量: 2.85 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

此錢應為東漢早期，更始帝所鑄行之五銖錢，倣西漢晚期之三官五銖錢錢形。

錢幣形制為漢文化圈傳統之方孔圓錢，錢面有外輪而無內廓，錢幕具外輪內廓，內廓微有四決紋，地章光素無文。錢文為「五銖」篆書，由右向左順讀。「五」字曲筆，與西漢晚期之「五」字結構相類，並且較瘦長。「銖」字「朱」旁筆劃轉折處方中帶圓，筆劃左側細，右側粗，疑有疊文現象。「五」字下有一短橫紋。幣稜雖經磨鑢，但稍有弧度，與西漢五銖幣稜之光滑平直相異。

更始帝劉玄，字聖公，為西漢宗室後裔，於新莽末年天下動盪之際崛起。地皇年間，各地反莽勢力並起，綠林軍在荊州一帶活動，劉玄被推舉為皇帝，建元「更始」。其政權先後擊敗王莽主力，於公元23年入關中，隨後定都長安，王莽政權迅速瓦解。更始政權建立後，任用綠林舊部與地方豪強，對原新莽官僚多所誅逐，但軍紀鬆弛，賞罰失序，未能有效整合關中與山東地區勢力。同時，赤眉軍勢力坐大，與更始政權關係緊張，關中糧秣匱乏，民變頻仍。公元25年，赤眉軍入長安，更始帝出降，隨後被殺，其政權歷時甚短，未能重建穩定的中央統治。