Origin: Though these bronze Wu Zhu coins were first cast by China's Han Dynasty in 118 BC, almost the same design was used until the start of the Tang Dynasty in 618 AD over 736 years later—making them the longest produced coin design in history.
The coins were based on the "zhu" system of measurement, whereas one zhu was equal to 100 grains of millet. "Wu Zhu" literally translates to "five zhu," although in reality their weight often varied. This is also what the characters on the front of the coin translate to, written in the ancient writing style of seal script.
The period in which these coins are from, the Han Dynasty, is considered to be the golden age of ancient Chinese history. Lasting over 400 years, the dynasty laid the groundwork for much of Chinese culture—even today, China's largest ethnic group refers to themselves as "Han Chinese."
Our Wu Zhu coins come from the collection of a Mr. Fishman, a prominent numismatist in the field of ancient Asian currency who has written a book specifically about Han Dynasty coins. They have been cleaned in a tumbler to remove encrustations and coated with a protective wax to preserve their original finish. These coins are guaranteed authentic, and come with a signed Certificate of Authenticity.
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A typical clay mold that was used to cast Wu Zhu coins, with metal being poured down into the central "tree." (via Wikimedia)
Your order will include:
One Chinese Han Dynasty Wu Zhu coin, c. 118 BC - 200 AD
- Glass top leather display box
- Detail card with relevant information about the relic
- Certificate of Authenticity
History Hoard relics are guaranteed authentic and have a 100% money back policy. Read more about the History Hoard Promise.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Your Certificate of Authenticity is more than just a piece of paper—it's a promise to you.
When you buy from History Hoard, you can rest assured that each of your new relics has been thoroughly inspected under the careful eyes of an antiquities specialist. Only items that are 100% certain to be authentic get sent to our customers.
Plus, we take great care to source our relics from only vetted antiquities experts, who are also committed to providing genuine and ethically sourced relics.
Check out this video to see the most basic things we look for when authenticating coins:
To read more about our promise to you, click here.
Actually, many relics are able to be owned by anyone.
Typically, museums only want to display items that are either very rare or incredibly well preserved. This leaves many items that don't make the cut, and these are able to be owned by individuals.
While the items we sell aren't "museum grade," they still carry with them the same amount of history and uniqueness. Each relic was still hand made by a person, hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
One of our core values is not to damage or alter any of the artifacts we sell.
History needs to be preserved—after all, there is a limited amount of it that survives—but it is also something to be shared with the masses. For this reason, we put our relics in sturdy display cases that are safe to handle, but are mindful that someday the relic may need to be taken out again.
No glue or resin holds the items in place. Instead, we're developed our own method for holding the relics securely in their displays using pressure alone. In fact, any of our relics can be removed in their original condition by simply opening the display case.
You can find our complete FAQ section here.