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1/2 Liang Type 5, with lines
| Issuer | Han Dynasty Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 136 BC - 118 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Liang |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 半兩 (Translation: Ban Liang Half ounce) |
| Reverse description | Uniface; the reverse is entirely plain and uninscribed, exhibiting a smooth, featureless surface with natural patination resulting from age and burial, consistent with the standard production practice for Ban Liang cash coinage of the Western Han period. |
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| Additional information |
The Ban Liang coinage system was already in decline by this period — the original 12-zhu standard had been debased repeatedly since the Qin unification, and these late half-liang pieces reflect the fiscal strain of Wu Di's early reign, when massive military expenditures against the Xiongnu were beginning to hollow out the treasury. Within a generation, the entire ban liang system would be abandoned in favor of the wu zhu, introduced in 118 BC — the very end of this type's production window.
The diagnostic line features referenced in Hartill 7.30 are rim or casting distinctions used to separate die groups within a heavily produced and widely variable series.