Qin State Banliang Coin Mould, Shaanxi Provincial Museum

What it is

This is a photograph by Gary Todd, taken during a 2009 visit to the Qin Gallery of the Shaanxi Provincial Museum. It shows a rectangular dark grey stone mould. The mould has two columns of eight circular coin impressions, each with a square hole and Chinese characters, separated by a central vertical channel.

Why it matters

The curator's note describes the object as a Qin state mould for making banliang coins. Banliang were the coins used in the Qin state, and the facts connect them to the standardized currency of the period under Qin Shi Huang. A mould shows that coins were made in quantity from a single pattern, which supports the idea of a uniform currency across the state. The photograph was taken by a visitor, so it records the museum display rather than the object in a laboratory.

Look closer

• How many coins could one mould produce at once, and what does that suggest about production?
• Why would the impressions be arranged in two matching columns?
• What does a photograph of a museum display not show about how the mould was used?