Han Dynasty Coinage: The Wu Zhu Revolution
The Han Dynasty didn't just unify China politically—it created the first lasting monetary standard in Chinese history. This episode traces the story of the wu zhu bronze coin, first minted in 118 BCE under Emperor Wu of Han. We follow the coin's journey from a failed experiment with silver and tin to a massive state-run minting operation that produced hundreds of billions of coins over seven centuries. Lucas walks Luna through the practical problems of the early Han economy—heavy Qin banliang coins that were easily counterfeited, the chaos of private minting during Empress Lü's regency, and Emperor Wu's radical solution: a standardized coin with a raised rim that made shaving metal nearly impossible. We also talk about the copper trade, the role of the state in regulating currency, and how the wu zhu outlasted the Han itself, remaining in circulation until the Tang Dynasty. It's a story of economic ingenuity, bureaucratic control, and a little coin that carried the weight of an empire.
#HanDynasty #WuZhuCoin #EmperorWuOfHan #AncientChineseEconomy #Numismatics #BronzeCoinage #ShanglinParkMint #CopperTrade #EconomicHistory #CounterfeitMoney #Banliang #ZhangTang #DuZhou #HanShu #SimaQian #TangDynasty #History #FexingoHistory
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