Bronze
400 – 300 BCE
China
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient China
Subtheme
India and China – Language and Society
Findspot
China
Measurements
H. 2.5 W. 2.5 Depth. 0.1 Diameter. 2.5 Weight. 3.27g
Accession Number
1883, 0802.134
Description
Coin: banliang. Issued by the Qin state (before 221 BCE) or Qin dynasty (after 221 BCE).
Curators Comments
Around 221 BCE China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, imposed a uniform script and coinage across his empire. Round coins with a square hole remained standard currency in China for two thousand years. The inscription states the value.