AE 12 Zhu

Struck: 220 – 180 B.C.
Mint:
Size: 31mm
Weight: 4.7g
Die Axis: 0°
Grade: F
Ref: Hartill 7.7

Obv: Ban Liang.
Rev: Blank as made.
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Qin Shi Huang was born in 259 B.C. and was the king of the State of Qin from 246 B.C. to 221 B.C. during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 B.C. until his death in 210 B.C. at the age of 49. Upon becoming emperor Qin Shi Huang passed a series of major economic and political reforms including standardizing language and coinage throughout the empire. He also undertook monumental construction projects like the Lingqu Canal, the Great Wall of China and his famous city-sized tomb guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army.

Later in his life, Qin Shi Huang had such a profound fear of death that he desperately sought a fabled elixir of life, which would supposedly allow him to live forever. Ironically, this is likely to have been the cause of his early death. It is reported that his death was caused by ingesting mercury pills made by his alchemists and court physicians as part of his search for immortality. He died during one of his tours of Eastern China, on September 10, 210 BC (Julian Calendar) at the palace in Shaqiu prefecture.