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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 26217692, member: 81887&quot;][ATTACH=full]1674333[/ATTACH] </p><p>China.&nbsp; North and South Dynasties period, Northern Wei, Emperor Xiao Zhuang, Yong An period (c.529 CE). AE cash (22 mm).&nbsp; Obverse: Four characters in archaic script, read top-bottom-right-left &quot;Yong An Wu Zhu&quot; (Yong An [period] Five Zhu [weight]), rim around edge.&nbsp; Reverse: Blank, rims around center hole and edge (reverse is off-center).&nbsp; Hartill 13.23, Schjoth 239, FD 608.&nbsp; This coin: Frank S. Robinson fixed-price list, May 2025.</p><p><br /></p><p>The North and South Dynasties period (420- 581 CE) was a time of great unrest in China, with both the northern and southern regions under the control of competing dynasties, often with civil wars.&nbsp; Despite this, the time was culturally rather productive, with Buddhism becoming well established and Taoism also prospering, and the arts and sciences generally flourishing.&nbsp; The Northern Wei dynasty (386-535 CE) was of mixed descent, originating from a tribal confederation of mainly proto-Mongol and Turkic origin.&nbsp; Writers in the Southern, Han-ruled dynasties sometimes called the Northern Wei &quot;plaited barbarians&quot;, in reference to their hairstyles.&nbsp; All men in the kingdom were required to braid their hair into a single tail, which was then rolled onto the top of the head and hidden under a cap.&nbsp; Over time, the Northern Wei adopted many Chinese traditions and lost much of their cultural distinctiveness (this is a recurring theme in Chinese history: non-Han dynasties gradually become more Sinicized).&nbsp; The Northern Wei also build a large portion of the &quot;Great Wall&quot; (which is actually a series of structures built by various dynasties over a period of many centuries).&nbsp; Emperor Xiao Zhuang came to the throne in 528; he was appointed by the powerful general Erzhu Rong, who overthrew and killed the Empress Dowager Hu and the two-year nominal emperor.&nbsp; General Erzhu and Emperor Xiao Zhuang had some initial distrust of each other, but reached an uneasy alliance, which was solidified when Erzhu&#039;s daughter married Xiao Zhuang.&nbsp; General Erzhu then led campaigns against several rebels as well as the rival Liao Dynasty.&nbsp; However, by late 530, Xiao Zhuang had again become fearful of Erzhu and had him killed.&nbsp; Early the next year, Erzhu&#039;s cousin and nephew managed to capture Xiao Zhuang and executed him.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coins with the inscription Wu Zhu were cast over a period of about seven centuries by various different dynasties, starting in 118 BCE and finally ending with the Sui Dynasty unification of China in 581 CE.&nbsp; The coins started out at their nominal weight of five (wu) zhu, about 3.25 grams, though many later issues are far below this standard.&nbsp; Some issues, like this, can be precisely dated due to including additional characters, but others can only be attributed very generally.&nbsp; This type (yong an wu zhu) was first issued in the second year of the Yong An period (529 CE); Hartill indicates it may have continued to be cast until 543 CE, with many unofficial versions also existing.&nbsp; Also, on this specimen the reverse is clearly off center, due to the reverse mold not being perfectly aligned with the obverse mold during casting. This coin is a reminder of an exciting and turbulent period of Chinese history.&nbsp; Please post whatever related coins you have.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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