Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
5 Zhu 'Western Han' type, with dot
| Issuer | China (ancient) |
|---|---|
| Year | 90 BC - 9 AD |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Uniface reverse, entirely plain and devoid of inscription or decorative device. The square central perforation is bordered by a well-defined raised inner rim, itself surrounded by a broad flat field extending to the raised outer rim. The surface exhibits a heavily encrusted green patina typical of Western Han bronzes recovered from archaeological contexts. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The dot variety of the Wu Zhu — positioned inside the square central hole or within the rim zone depending on the die — has been attributed to specific regional mints operating under the commandery system, though scholars have not reached consensus on which facilities produced marked versus unmarked dies. The Wu Zhu itself was introduced under Emperor Wu of Han around 118 BC as a centralization measure, stripping coinage rights from feudal lords who had flooded markets with debased issues for decades. It became one of the longest-lived coin types in Chinese history, outlasting the Western Han entirely.