From: =?Windows-1252?Q?Enregistr=E9_par_Windows_Internet_Explorer=A07?= Subject: Three Kingdoms Ancient Chinese Coins (Western Han Ban Liang) Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 08:30:58 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C8AB65.AE32F1C0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6000.16545 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C8AB65.AE32F1C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:eGkldderS7oJ:kongming.net/novel/coins/west_han_banliang/+Ban+liang+coin&hl=fr&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=fr =EF=BB=BF
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[ Home =E2=80=93> Three Kingdoms History =
=E2=80=93> Chinese Coins =
=E2=80=93> Western Han Ban Liang ]
While enjoying the rich stories, personalities, and = lessons of the=20 Three Kingdoms era, it is all too easy to forget that this is all taking = place=20 within a unique culture. A culture full traditions, unique weapons, = armor, and=20 clothing, unique pottery=E2=80=94and coins. That=E2=80=99s right, coins! = If you are a coin collector, = you are=20 already very curious. If not, read on and enjoy this section. You might = find it=20 much more interesting than you anticipated. Presenting a detailed coin-by-coin analysis, = presented,=20 photographed, and written by Adrian Loder (web = site; more=20 coins; discussion; = full = credits) of Chinese coins ranging from the Early Han dynasty on into = the=20 Jin. And let=E2=80=99s not forget the Three Kingdoms!
Additional Reading and Goodies
Western Han Ban Liang=E2=80=94c. = 206=E2=80=93180 BC Emperor=20 Liu Bang, temple name Han Gaozu (to 195 BC), Emperor Liu Ying, = posthumous name=20 Xiaohui Huangdi (195=E2=80=93188 BC), Empress Dowager Lu Zhi, temple = name Gaohou=20 (188=E2=80=93180 BC). This coin=20 could conceivably come from the time of any of these rulers. = Additonally, as=20 there is little differentiation between Qin dynasty Ban Liang and early = Western Han=20 Ban Liang, it could = even be a=20 late-Qin issue, c. 220=E2=80=93206 BC under Emperor Ying Zheng, better = known as Qin Shi=20 Huangdi.
The characters of this coin were heavily =
obscured=20
and I really felt more was underneath the patina than was showing. In my =
inexperience I used commercial-grade hydrochloric acid to remove the =
patina. Now=20
everything is clearly visible, but it is quite ugly. I plan on re-toning =
it with=20
Deller=E2=80=99s Darkener to improve the appearance and help prevent =
ugly, modern patina=20
from forming. 

Here=E2=80=99s another of the same variety, more likely to date to =
post-Gaozu times=20
though as the diameter is a bit smaller=E2=80=9430 mm as compared to 32 =
mm. The patina=20
is beautiful on this coin=E2=80=94the =
blue is pretty well=20
visible in the scan, but there are also purple crystals that have formed =
on the=20
top and bottom of the reverse. They don=E2=80=99t show too well in the =
scan, but in=20
natural sunlight the blue and purple shows up brilliantly. 

Yu Jia Ban =
Liang=E2=80=94=E2=80=9CElm Seed=E2=80=9D, so-called=20
for the small size. c. 200=E2=80=93180 BC Supposed to have been =
introduced because the=20
Qin-size were inconvenient.

Western Han Ban Liang=E2=80=94=E2=80=9Ctwill=E2=80=9D Ban character. =
Appears to be=20
one of the varieties supposedly of 4 zhu in weight though in reality =
they=20
were/are lighter than this. c. 179=E2=80=93118 BC The rulers of this =
time were Emperor=20
Wen, Liu Heng, temple name Taizong (180=E2=80=93157 BC), Emperor Jing, =
Liu Qi,=20
posthumous name Xiaojing Huangdi (157=E2=80=93141 BC) and Emperor Wu, =
Liu Che, temple=20
name Shizong (141=E2=80=9387 BC). Emperor Jing apparently did not have =
new coins minted=20
but used the coins minted under Emperor Wen. I suppose that the =
=E2=80=9Ctwill=E2=80=9D=20
character could be used to narrow the dating down, though I have found =
no info=20
on this variety. Specimen does not appear to have rims, which means it =
is more=20
likely to be from Emperor Wen=E2=80=99s time.

More of the same general sort as above, no rims, officially 4 zhu=20
weight/value. No twill Ban character =
however, and=20
the bottom of the Liang=20
is like a =E2=80=9Csideways E=E2=80=9D as Cast Chinese Coins states, as =
opposed to the above,=20
where the bottom of the Liang is like an =
M. These=20
seem to be Hartill 7.17. 

Western Han Ban Liang=E2=80=94similar to the other=20
small ones except that these appear to have rims, which would date them =
to the=20
reign of Emperor Wu, c. 136=E2=80=93119 BC Based on the shape of the Liang and the =
quality=20
workmanship they seem to be Hartill 7.32. Note the reverses: both show =
the=20
impressions of characters from other Ban Liang =
buried/stored/hoarded=20
with them, created over time as the obverse of the other coin pressed =
against=20
them.

Another specimen with rims, they=E2=80=99re easier to make out on =
this one because=20
the edge of the coin has=20
not been filed down. Additionally, the calligraphy on the Ban character is =
somewhat=20
different, with the middle three vertical bars more narrowed.

Another specimen that appears to have outer rims, if so this would =
seem to be=20
Hartill 7.32 as with the coins at the top of the page.

Ban Liang=E2=80=94This =
specimen has no=20
rims and resembles a variety of early Western Han Ban Liang known as Wu =
Fen=E2=80=94=E2=80=9Cfive=20
cut=E2=80=9D or cut into fifths. Meaning, the coins were one fifth of =
the normal 12 zhu=20
weight, which would be 2.4 zhu. As a result those coins have wide center =
holes=20
and narrow, lanky characters. This is not a Wu Fen, but a rarer, heavier =
variety=20
with the same sort of casting style, possibly an ancient counterfeit =
from the=20
time of the Wu Fen coins.

Ban Liang=E2=80=94This =
specimen is cast=20
from lead. Fairly crusty but the characters, which are quite thin, are =
visible.=20
It also has inner and outer rims, making it a later issue, possibly an =
ancient=20
counterfeit or private casting from the time of the other rimmed Ban Liang, as at this =
time=20
Western Han had little need to resort to casting coins from =
lead.

This is simply another Western Han Ban Liang of the 4 zhu =
variety.=20
This specimen is rimless and the Liang is the =
=E2=80=9CM=E2=80=9D-shape=20
style. Very nice, prominent characters on this specimen so while it is =
nothing=20
extravagant or special it is a nice example of its type.

Copyright =C2=A9 =
2001=E2=80=932008 James Peirce
About | Accessibility | Submissions | Validate
All coin=20
photographs and instructive text =C2=A9 Copyright 2006 Adrian Loder (Website)
Primary sources: David =
Hartill=E2=80=99s Cast Chinese=20
Coins (ISBN: 1-4120-5466-4), Robert Kokotailo=E2=80=99s Calgary Coins Website
Extended Credit and =
Copyright=20
Details
October 31, 2006