Rare private issue Yong Ping Wu Zhu cash, Northern Wei, cast ca.510-529 CE, The Northern and Southern Dynasties period, China

Two large Chinese characters Wu Zhu, no inside rim, shallow outside rim / Blank, inner and outer rims. 23mm, 2.02 grams. Hartill -; Gratzer/Fishman "One Thousand Years of Wu Zhu Coinage" #B8.58. 

Rare small private issue, rated "Rare" in Gratzer/Fishman. With a vague imprint "Wu Zhu" on the reverse, from the next coin in the stack of these. 

The Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 CE) was a powerful and transformative regime that ruled northern China during the era of the Six Dynasties and the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Founded by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei, a nomadic people from the northern steppes, the dynasty gradually sinicized, adopting Chinese customs, language, clothing, and administrative systems. Under Emperor Xiaowen (r. 471–499), sweeping reforms were enacted, including the relocation of the capital to Luoyang and the promotion of Confucian ideals, leading to greater integration with Han Chinese society.

The Northern Wei is also renowned for its patronage of Buddhism, leaving a rich legacy of art and architecture, most famously the Yungang and Longmen grottoes, which feature monumental Buddhist sculptures and cave temples. Despite its achievements, internal court struggles and power fragmentation led to a split into the Eastern and Western Wei, signaling the dynasty’s decline. Nevertheless, the Northern Wei played a crucial role in unifying northern China and laying foundations for later dynasties.

This coin is unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic.