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5 Zhu Abbreviated Zhu
| Issuer | Cao Wei, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 220-265 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Zhu |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain, uninscribed reverse displaying the characteristic broad flat annulus surrounding the central square hole. No legend, decorative elements, or mint marks are present in the field. The surface retains a dark patina with areas of cuprite and malachite encrustation consistent with prolonged burial, and faint casting striations are visible along the inner square rim. The reverse rim is irregular and slightly flan-cracked, as is typical of small-module cast bronzes of the Three Kingdoms period. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Cao Wei's abbreviated zhu coinage is poorly understood in part because the state actively discouraged cash circulation for stretches of its existence — Cao Cao himself suspended coin use in favor of grain and silk as exchange media around 210 AD, a policy that persisted unevenly under his successors. Small issues like this one likely filled gaps when commodity exchange proved impractical, produced without the mint infrastructure of a unified empire.
The absence of a Hartill number reflects genuine cataloging ambiguity around Wei coinage; Gratzer remains the more reliable reference for this series.