1 Jin = approximately 250 grams

1 Liang = 15.5 Grams

1 Zhu = 65 grams

The Jin has three meanings: a spade coin, an axe, and a weight measure. The jin was originally a name for a coin, but in the Han dynasty it became a weight measure. During the Western Han time period there were seven findings of the jin and they weighed 250, 238, 244, 248, 252, 249 and 258 grams. During Wang Mang there were two findings of the jin 250 and 233. In the Eastern Han there were five findings of 222, 214, 218, 226 and 220 grams. 1 jin is about 16 liang.
 

    The Han measurments were determined by millet seeds. 90 millets of seed were equivilent to the Han foot. The measurments were measured by millet seeds vertical or horizontal. When seeds are stacked vertically the length is longer and the when seeds or placed horizontally they length is shorter. 81 vertical millet seeds equals 9 inches, and 100 horizontal seeds equals 10 inches. Shih-chi says a ch'in is eight feet one inch. A huang-chung is about 11 inches. The ch'in is also a name for the li. During Fu Xi's during the sage kings time period a ch'in was seven feet, two inches, which is 8 times the length of a huang-chung. Confucius says that the ch'in was three feet, six inches. Therefore people during the Han dynasty used three feet, six inches as the ch'in. Confuciust found this ch'in because of the measurment from hit house to a nut outside.
 

Western Han

    The Ban Liang- 4 zhu

    The San Zhu- 3 zhu
 

    The Wu Zhu- 5 zhu

    The value of the coin was determined by how heavy the coin was. The value of the Ban Liang often changed during different time periods. All of the coins were made of copper during the Han dynasty and they would be circular with a square hole in the middle. The whole in the middle was square because it represented the earth, and the coin was a circle to represent the heaven. Round means yuan in Chinese, therefore a coin in Chinese is called yuan.

Wang Man

    Huo Quan- 5 zhu

    Spade Coins- 25 zhu

    Wang Mang introduced a new type of coins. He introduced the Huo Quan, and he also introduced a knife shaped coin worth 5,000 zhu, but we do not know for sure.

    
Eastern Han

    Wu Zhu- 5 zhu

    The Wu Zhu became the only coin minted after Wang Mang.

 
 
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