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5 Zhu - Wu Zhu with radiate lines
| Issuer | Southern dynasties |
|---|---|
| Year | 523-549 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Zhu (430-582) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised square rim, with the two-character legend 五銖 (Wu Zhu) disposed in the fields to the right and left of the central hole, read from right to left in the traditional manner. The characters are rendered in a somewhat archaic clerical script typical of Southern Dynasties iron cash, with relatively shallow relief reflecting the casting quality of the period. A plain outer rim encircles the coin field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse (uniface) featuring a raised square rim surrounding the central square perforation, from the corners of which radiate diagonal lines extending toward the outer rim, creating a characteristic cross-like pattern in the four quadrants of the field. The radiate lines are a diagnostic feature of this Southern Dynasties iron Wu Zhu variety, distinguishing it from otherwise similar contemporary types. The outer rim is plain and slightly raised. |
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| Additional information |
The iron wu zhu series of the Southern Liang dynasty emerged from a metals crisis: bronze had become too strategically valuable to mint freely, and the court under Emperor Wu authorized iron as a substitute currency. The result was predictably chaotic — iron coins corroded rapidly, were easily counterfeited, and circulated alongside dozens of competing private and official issues of wildly inconsistent weight. The radiate lines on this variety are a decorative elaboration whose precise regulatory or workshop origin remains unresolved in the literature.