5 Zhu - Wen

The Southern Qi, Chen, and intervening courts of the mid-sixth century were minting under chronic bronze shortages, and the coinages of this window are notoriously inconsistent in alloy and flan preparation. The Wen reign of the Chen dynasty — one of the shortest-lived of the Southern dynasties succession — produced issues that circulated alongside debased remnants of earlier Southern Qi and Liang coinage, creating a chaotic monetary environment where weight and purity were largely nominal.

Hartill 10.22 distinguishes this type by specific rim and cast characteristics that separate it from near-contemporary issues sharing the same inscription.