新莽契刀五百 上美品。XIN: Wang Mang, AD 7-23, AE key money (19.68g), H-9.13, qi dao wu bai (inscribed knife [value] five hundred), very light encrustation with Shuiyin Gu patina ("Ancient Mercury"), coins with this appearance were often unearthed in Shaanxi province, a superb example! About Unc, R, ex Zhao Quanzhi Collection. Wang Mang was a nephew of the Dowager Empress Wang, and during his time as her regent he usurped the throne, and founded the Xin Dynasty. He introduced a number of currency reforms which met with varying degrees of success. The first reform, in AD 7, retained the Wu Zhu coin, but reintroduced two versions of the knife money: the value 500 and value 5000 types which were cast from AD 7-9.
