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.
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.