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Spade Eastern Zhou
| Issuer | Eastern Zhou, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 300 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain reverse of the hollow-handle square-shoulder spade, displaying the characteristic flat, undecorated surface typical of Eastern Zhou cast bronze spade money of this series. The reverse shows the natural concave impression resulting from the open-mold casting technique, with clearly defined raised edges along the shoulders, handle socket, and foot terminals. The surface is covered in a dense, layered patina of malachite green with areas of darker corrosion, attesting to the coin's considerable antiquity and burial history. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Hollow-handle spade coins like this one were produced by several competing Zhou states simultaneously, each maintaining its own casting centers and weight standards — a fragmentation that reflects the political reality of the Warring States period, when the Zhou king retained nominal authority while actual power had long since dissolved into regional hands. The specific attribution to Hartill 2.164 places this within a tightly defined group, but establishing the issuing city-state with certainty remains a persistent challenge in the series.