Running vs Seal Calligraphy Script, Song dynasty, Pair of Chinese coinsSheng Song Tong Bao;Age: Song dynasty 960-1279;Size: 22 - 25 mm;Weight: 3.0 - 4.5 g;Running = Semi-cursive script is a cursive style of Chinese characters. Because it is not as abbreviated as cursive, most people who can read regular script can read semi-cursive.Also referred to in English both as running script and by its Mandarin Chinese name, xíngsh, it is derived from clerical script, and was for a long time after its development in the 1st centuries AD the usual style of handwriting.Some of the best examples of semi-cursive can be found in the work of Wang Xizhi (321-379) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.Seal script is an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy. It evolved organically out of the Zhou dynasty script, arising in the Warring State of Qin. The Qin variant of seal script became the standard and was adopted as the formal script for all of China in the Qin dynasty, and was still widely used for decorative engraving and seals (name chops, or signets) in the Han dynasty. The literal translation of its Chinese name (zhuanshu) is decorative engraving script, because by the time this name was coined in the Han dynasty, its role had been reduced to ceremonial inscriptions rather than as a standardized script.