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5 Zhu - Liu Bei Kingdom of Shu
| Issuer | Shu Han Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 221-263 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 銖五 |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse displaying a central square perforation with a raised square inner rim, typical of Han-period cash coinage. The broad annular field is entirely blank and unadorned, with no inscriptions, symbols, or decorative devices. The flat, featureless reverse is characteristic of the utilitarian casting tradition of the Shu Han state, with the surface exhibiting extensive green and brown patination indicative of long burial or circulation. |
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| Additional information |
The Shu Han kingdom, established by Liu Bei in 221 AD after he claimed the Han imperial succession, controlled only the Sichuan basin — a geographically isolated but economically self-sufficient region that allowed it to maintain its own coinage entirely independent of the rival Wei and Wu kingdoms. This three-way fragmentation of the old Han monetary system is precisely why Shu issues exist as a distinct type rather than a continuation of imperial coinage.
Hartill 10.10 is associated with the period of Zhuge Liang's stewardship, during which Shu's finances were strained by repeated northern campaigns against Wei. Coins of this type circulated for the full four-decade lifespan of the kingdom until the Wei conquest in 263.