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1/2 Liang Type 5, legend reversed
| Issuer | Han Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 136 BC - 118 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.98 g |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin with a central square perforation flanked on each side by the two-character Ban Liang (半两) legend in archaic seal script (Xiaozhuan), reading right to left in the reversed arrangement characteristic of this Type 5 variety. The character 两 appears to the left of the square hole and 半 to the right, inverting the standard reading order. The fields are plain and undivided, with no rim rims or inner or outer raised borders beyond the casting flash. The coin displays a thick, uneven blue-green patina with areas of earthen encrustation consistent with extended burial, and the casting surfaces show the irregular texture typical of Han dynasty sand-cast production. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The reversed-legend variety of this type is a die curiosity rather than an official variant — the result of an engraver cutting the characters in mirror orientation, an error that slipped through quality oversight at one of the numerous provincial mints operating under Han centralization efforts. The period between 136 and 118 BC saw repeated imperial attempts to suppress unauthorized casting, culminating in the Wudi reforms that abolished the half-liang entirely in favor of the wushu in 118 BC.
Hartill 7.31 distinguishes this from the standard issue precisely by the legend orientation — a detail easily missed without direct comparison.