China - Early Imperial. NORTHERN ZHOU: Anonymous, 557-581, AE cash (3.98g), H-13.29, bu quan in archaic script, EF. The Bu Quan or Spade Coin type was issued in 561 by Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou dynasty. One coin was to be worth five Wu Zhus. To distinguish this coin from the Bu Quan of Wang Mang, the stroke in the middle of quan is continuous. They were withdrawn in 576.
