Two Chinese characters - Ban Liang ("Half an ounce"), no rims or other marks / Blank, no rims. 18mm, 0.55 grams. Gratzer/Fishman "The Early Round Coins of China" #A12.24.

Late Qin private issues, usually assumed to have been cast during the brief and troubled reign of Qin Er Shi Huangdi.

The coins traditionally attributed to the son and successor of Qin Shi Huangdi are similar to the earlier coins, but are generally lighter. Following the death of Shi Huangdi in 210 BC and the beginning of the civil war, Ban Liangs underwent rapid inflation and their weight quickly decreased, even though most of them remained large and similar in style and size (but not weight) to the coins of Qin Shi Huangdi. These smaller coins in fairly unique styles are found in Xi'an in Shaanxi and in Henan. This can be regarded as the first known case of the Chinese round coin inflationary crisis, one of the many to come.

This coin is unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic.