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10 Zhu - Wu Zhu, 'Dang Liang'
| Issuer | Liu Song Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 447 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 27 mm |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin of the Liu Song Dynasty, presenting the two-character inscription 五銖 (Wu Zhu) reading from right to left in relief across the central field, flanking the square central perforation. The characters are rendered in seal-script style, with the character 五 to the right and 銖 to the left of the square hole. A raised inner rim borders the central perforation, and a plain outer rim frames the coin. The surfaces exhibit a characteristic patina of malachite green with areas of reddish-brown corrosion consistent with age and burial. The overall fabric is typical of Southern Dynasties cast coinage, with broad, flat fields and bold, slightly worn relief lettering. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The 'Dang Liang' (當兩, "worth two") designation on this Wu Zhu reflects an emergency valuation experiment by Emperor Wen of Liu Song, who attempted to address chronic bronze shortages by issuing overvalued coinage — a measure that predictably collapsed under market rejection within years of introduction. The Liu Song court cycled through multiple such revaluations during the 440s, none of which held.
Hartill's attribution places this squarely in the short window before the policy was abandoned, making dateable survivors rarer than the type's modest appearance suggests.