Coins of the Silk Road
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Wu Zhu -
Eastern Han
25–220 AD: Two seal script characters reading Wu Zhu (五銖, "Five Zhu") flanking a central square aperture, paired with a plain reverse featuring raised inner and outer rims. The classic round cash coin served as a foundational medium of exchange across East Asia. The standardized central square hole allowed merchants to string hundreds of coins together on cords, facilitating easy transport for high-value transactions along long-distance trade routes.
2
Dinar -
Huvishka
151–190 AD: Struck in high-purity gold, the obverse features Bactrian script surrounding the ruler, while the reverse displays the goddess of fortune and abundance alongside the royal Kushan tamgha. Situated at the crossroads of the Silk Road connecting Rome, Parthia, China, and India, the Kushan Empire minted standard-weight gold dinars—modeled directly after the Roman aureus weight—to facilitate bustling international trade.
1
Denarius -
Trajan
112–114 AD: During Trajan’s reign, Rome's expansion into Nabataea and control over vital Eastern trade routes greatly expanded access to the Silk Road, channeling vast wealth into the imperial treasury to fund public works and social welfare programs like the Alimenta. High-purity silver denarii such as this also flowed eastward along maritime and overland Silk Road routes to purchase luxury goods like silk, spices, and exotic wares.