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500 Cash - Wang Mang Third reform
| Issuer | China (ancient) |
|---|---|
| Year | 10-14 |
| 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 |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 布差 百五 (Translation: Cha Bu Wu Bai Servant spade / 500 (value)) |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse displaying a single raised vertical line running from the shoulder hole through the centre of the spade body to the upper edge of the bifurcated foot, dividing the otherwise blank field. The raised border follows the spade outline on all sides. Two known varieties exist, distinguished by the length of this central line: an extended-line type and a short-line type. |
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| Additional information |
Wang Mang's monetary reforms were driven partly by ideology — he was attempting to revive Zhou dynasty economic customs as part of his broader effort to legitimize the Xin dynasty — and partly by a desire to extract value from the population through deliberate currency debasement. The Third Reform of 10 AD introduced a sprawling multi-denomination system of over two dozen coin types, nearly all of which failed to circulate as intended. Hoarding and counterfeiting were immediate and widespread.
The 500-cash valuation on a coin of this weight reflects the coercive fiction at the heart of Mang's system: the face value bore no relationship to metal content.