Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25--220)
Height 2.4 cm, Seal Face 2, 4 x 2.4 cm
Excavated in Fengle Zhen, Anyang, Henan Province, 1963

This seal is cast of silver. It is square, and has a knob in the shape of a tortoise on its top. The seal face features the characters ‘Bi Jiangjun Yinzhang, Seal of the Auxiliary General(裨将军印章) ’ in intagliated carving (negative legend). Bi means either additional or auxiliary, and the auxiliary general is the right hand, or aide, of the main general, essentially fulfilling the role of a deputy general. According to archaeological evidence, this seal dates to the early Eastern Han and belonged to Wuhan, a certain deputy general of the Liuxiu. It was lost during a battle in the Zhanghe area of Anyang. The characters are rather vulgar, indicating it to have been carved out of necessity for military use.