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5 Zhu 'Eastern Han', disconnected Wu
| Issuer | Eastern Han Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 150-220 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 25 mm |
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| Obverse description | Round cast bronze coin with a central square perforation surrounded by a raised square rim. The two-character inscription 五銖 (Wu Zhu, 'Five Zhu') is arranged horizontally flanking the central hole, with 五 (five) to the left and 銖 (zhu) to the right. A distinguishing typological feature of this variety is the 'disconnected Wu' (五), in which the upper horizontal stroke of the character is separated from the body. The characters are rendered in clerical script in raised relief against an otherwise plain, uninscribed field. The coin displays an overall patina of mottled blue-green azurite and malachite encrustation consistent with long burial. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
By the late Eastern Han period, central minting authority had effectively collapsed. Provincial administrators and regional warlords were striking their own coinage with little oversight, producing pieces of wildly inconsistent quality and weight. The "disconnected Wu" variety — named for the broken stroke in the 五 character — is one of several diagnostic features used to distinguish late Han provincial issues from earlier, centrally produced pieces.
The period 150–220 CE encompasses the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo's sack of Luoyang, and the fragmentation that ended the Han altogether.