Large archaic Chinese character Yuan / Blank. 41mm long, 8.2 grams. Hartill #6.3.

The State of Liang - more commonly known as the State of Wei - was a major power during China’s Warring States period before its conquest by Qin. Originally one of the three successor states to Jin in the 5th century BCE, Wei reached its height in the 4th century BCE under rulers like King Hui of Wei, with its capital at Daliang (modern Kaifeng), from which the name “Liang” derives. Wei was an early adopter of Legalist reforms and once fielded formidable armies, but its central location left it exposed to constant attacks from Qin, Zhao, Qi, and Chu. Strategic defeats - most notably at Guiling (354 BCE) and Maling (342 BCE) - and the gradual loss of territory to Qin severely weakened the state. By the late 3rd century BCE, Liang/Wei was reduced to a vulnerable remnant and was finally conquered by Qin in 225 BCE, after Qin forces flooded Daliang by diverting the Yellow River.