File:Liang Ban (兩半) - Reversed inscription Ban Liang - Scott Semans.jpg

English: BAN LIANG      ca. 350 - 119 BC    

These coins usually have the "Ban" (半) character on the right and the "Liang" (两) character on the left so that the inscription is read right to left as "Ban Liang" (半两).

The striking feature of this coin, however, is that the two (2) Chinese characters are reversed so that the inscription (legend) of this cash coin actually reads Liang Ban (两半). In Mandarin Chinese, this reversal of characters is referred to as chuan xing (传形).

It is unknown, however, what significance or symbolism might be implied by reversing the two (2) Chinese characters being reversed.

    H 7 . 4      Ban liang     Warring States, 378-336 BC, thick "12 shu" 31.3mm, 10.632g     FD-nl, S83, HG147/3     F+ 
    H 7 . 6      Ban liang     Warring States, Emp. Shen Ching Wang, 336 BC, large "12 shu" with high-relief writing, type ranges 5.4-8gm 36.1mm, 7.583g     FD385, S79, HG148/1     VF+ 
    H 7 . 7M      Ban liang Charm     Qin Dynasty (300-200 BC) Banliang with four triangles above and below, hand-altered in antiquity as a charm. 29.1 mm, 4.408 g     FD385, S79, HG148/1     VF+ 
    H 7 . 10b      Chicken Eye Banliang     Western Han, 202BC - 7AD Small private piece, 200-179BC Large flan with relatively small hole. 16mm, 0.72g     FD411, S86, HG160/2     F 
    H 7 . 11a      Chicken Eye Banliang     Western Han, 202BC - 7AD Small private piece, 200-179BC Small piece with large hole. Samples shown. 13-15.5mm     FD411, S86, HG160/2     F 
    H 7 . 11b      Chicken Eye Banliang     Western Han, 202BC - 7AD Small private piece, 200-179BC Small piece with small hole. Samples shown. 13-15.5mm     FD411, S86, HG160/2     F 
    H 7 . 31      Liang Pan     Reversed inscription, small thick characters. 23.8mm, 2.673g         F+ 
    H 7 . 31b      Liang Pan     Reversed inscription, large thin characters. 23.4mm, 2.315g         F 
    H 7 . 33      Liang Liang     Thin coin with one character upside down. Ding states these coins were issued from BC182; Huaguangpu 149/3 listed as ChÕun ChÕiu period during the Eastern Zhou has a smaller hole. 23.2mm, 0.502g     FD419, S-nl, HG149/3     crude Vg-F. 

This cash coin is also interesting because one can still see casting sprue at the upper left edge of the coin. This small piece protruding metal is the remnant of the passageway that the molten bronze flowed through to fill the cash coin mould and form the Ban Liang cash coin.

After cash coins were removed from the mould, they were stacked onto a long square metal rod. The hole in the coin and the metal rod were both square so that the coins would not rotate while a worker used a file to remove any metal stubs (sprue) from the edges that remained after the casting in order to make the coins round.