1/2 Liang Type 5, with lines

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.