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!
Half Cash - Ban Yuan
| Issuer | State of Western Zhou (Warring States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 220 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| 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) | Hartill#6.16, FD#376 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain, uninscribed reverse presenting a smooth, flat field surrounding the central round perforation. The surface bears a deep, uniform dark brown patina with subtle casting texture characteristic of Warring States bronze production. No legend, decoration, or design element is present; the flan is entirely featureless save for minor surface irregularities inherent to the sand-casting technique. |
| 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 Ban Yuan ("half round") issues of Western Zhou occupy a peculiar corner of Warring States coinage — this minor state, a diminished rump territory centered near modern Luoyang that the Zhou royal house retained after losing effective power, was issuing its own currency largely as a matter of political face. The casting quality across this type varies considerably, with many examples showing poorly filled rims and irregular flan preparation consistent with small-scale, undercapitalized production.
Western Zhou was extinguished by Qin in 256 BC, making any issue attributable to the later end of this date range almost certainly pre-conquest.