Chinese column of coins

[Robert]

CW article in Sep 1 edition says Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a column of Chinese coins from the Southern Song dynasty (1127 to 1279 AD). This column is two meters high and 1.5 meters in diameter.

That's a lot of coins! The column theoretically weighs seven tons.

I imagine they're the old "cash" coins w/ the square holes in the center. They were tied together with cords and then buried in what they believe was a well, to avoid bandits.

The coins were sorted by type by whoever placed them in the well almost 900 years ago.

Those cash coins are a brass alloy (they contain copper!) and they were cast, rather than struck.