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5 Zhu Southern Qi Dynasty
| Issuer | Southern Qi Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 490 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze cash coin centered on a square central hole (穿) surrounded by a raised inner rim and an outer rim. The two-character inscription 五銖 (Wu Zhu, meaning '5 Zhu') is disposed in the fields to the right and left of the central perforation, read from right to left in the traditional manner. The characters are rendered in a somewhat crude, worn style typical of Southern Dynasties provincial casting. The surfaces exhibit heavy green and blue-grey patination consistent with prolonged burial. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 五銖 (Translation: Wu Zhu, 5 Zhu) |
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| Additional information |
The Southern Qi, one of the shortest-lived of the Southern Dynasties, ruled a fragmented south China for only 23 years before internal purges and succession violence destroyed it from within. This 5 zhu issue dates to the reign of Emperor Wu, a period of relative administrative stability sandwiched between the dynastic chaos that preceded and followed it. Coinage of this era was chronically debased — private casting was widespread, and the court repeatedly failed to suppress counterfeit circulation despite multiple prohibition edicts.