Bronze mold for minting Ban Liang coins, Warring States period (475-221 BC), State of Qin, from an excavation in Qishan County, Baoji, Shaanxi province
The Ban Liang (Traditional Chinese: 半兩 ; Pinyin: bàn liǎng) was the first unified currency of the Chinese empire, first minted as early as 378 BCE and introduced by the first emperor Qin Shi Huang as China's first unified currency around 210 BC[1] (although coins with this inscription already circulated in the State of Qin prior to unification). It was round with a square hole in the middle. Before that date, a variety of coins were used in China, usually in the form of blades (knife money, spade money) or other implements, though round coins with square holes were used by the State of Zhou before it was extinguished by Qin in 249 BCE.[2]
The Ban Liang corresponds to a "half tael" (半兩), or twelve zhu (銖, about 0.68 grams). It typically weighs between ten and six grams, roughly corresponding to the Greek stater.
The standardization of currency with this round coinage was part of a broader plan to unify weights and measures during the Qin empire.[3][4] Ban Liang coins continued to be used under the Western Han dynasty until they were finally replaced by the Wu Zhu cash coins in 118 BC.
^"China: Ancient Tomb of First Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Grandmother Discovered in Xi'an". Mary-Ann Russon (International Business Times – United Kingdom). 11 September 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
^Travel China Guide Qin & Han Money - Ban Liang Qian & Wu Zhu Qian. Retrieved: 14 June 2017.
^"Chinese coins – 中國錢幣". Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture). 16 November 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
^Maine University Warring States Period 战国 Ban Liang Coins 半两钱 货币。 Archived 2017-10-25 at the Wayback Machine March 2010. Retrieved: 14 June 2017.
The BanLiang (Traditional Chinese: 半兩 ; Pinyin: bànliǎng) was the first unified currency of the Chinese empire, first minted as early as 378 BCE and...
production of BanLiang cash coins. These small privately cast cash coins are popularly known as "elm seed BanLiang coins" (榆莢半兩錢, Yú jiá bànliǎng qián). While...
such as spade money, knife money, ring-shaped coins, ant-nose coins, and BanLiang cash coins. But as the presence of real money and other objects of value...
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Feng Le coins and at Zhangpu in Shaanxi, a sealed jar containing 1,000 BanLiang coins of various weights and sizes, was discovered. The earliest coinage...
until they were abolished by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC in favour of the BanLiang cash coins. Under the Xin dynasty created by Wang Mang spade money was...
earlier San Zhu (三銖; "Three Zhu") cash coins, which had replaced the BanLiang (半兩) cash coins a year prior, until they themselves were replaced by the...
221 BC • Death of Qin Shi Huang 210 BC • Surrender to Liu Bang 206 BC Area 220 BC 2,300,000 km2 (890,000 sq mi) Currency BanLiang Today part of China...
during the Warring States period, and they became standardised as the BanLiang (半兩) coinage during the Qin dynasty which followed. Over the years, cash...
century BCE, a new type of coins, the "banliang" type, was introduced in the Western state of Qin. The banliang coins were round, cast bronze coins with...
Chinese history were Wu Zhu's (五銖, 118 BC–618 AD), the unearthing or iron BanLiang (半兩) cash coins produced during the Western Han dynasty during the 1950s...
cash coin became the main standard currency of China in 221 BC with the BanLiang (半兩) and would be produced until 1912 AD there with the Minguo Tongbao...
one, they have a very long history possibly dating back to the first BanLiang (半兩) cash coins cast under the State of Qin or the Han dynasty. Cash coins...
have an inscription based on the weight of the coin as was the case with BanLiang, Wu Zhu and many other earlier types of Chinese cash coins. The Kaiyuan...
coins from the State of Yan, ant-nose money from the State of Chu, and BanLiang (半兩) cash coins dating from the Qin to the Western Han dynasties are in...
260 BC – 210 BC) introduced a uniform copper coin with the inscription "BanLiang" based on the coins previously used by Qin. All other forms of local currency...
weights and measures, writing styles (seal script) and metal currency (BanLiang), all of which were standardized. Traditionally, Qin Shi Huang is regarded...
Zhuge Liang (pronunciation) (181 – September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist,...
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