Chinese ancient coins sprouted in the Xia Dynasty, originated in the Shang Dynasty, developed in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and unified in winning the Qin Dynasty. In the long history of more than 4000 years, they have created more than 70 best in the world. Moreover, China's coin system is complete, its categories are rich, its context is long and its connotation is broad, which is unmatched by any country.
The world's earliest paper money, the world's earliest low-priced "Jiaozi" appeared in the Song Dynasty, but both the physical and paper money versions of the "Jiaozi" have been lost. At present, the earliest "Jin Dynasty Copper Coin Edition" found in China has been collected by Jin Quan Coin Museum.
The earliest coins
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, due to the rapid development of commodity economy, ancient coins of various shapes began to appear, mostly imitating the production tools or household appliances at that time.
Member Rong of Anjinquan Coin Museum of Chinese Coin Society: Like Chu State, it developed from a coin shell to a character shell, commonly known as face money and ant nose money. In the Central Plains and agricultural areas, it evolved from a labor tool-a farm tool shovel. In coastal and northern areas and fishing and hunting areas, it evolved into a knife coin according to its fishing and hunting tool-a knife.
This product is called Wuyang three-hole cloth. Why is it called three-hole cloth? Because it has three small holes. Do you see three small holes on it? The place name is Wuyang, followed by one or two. There are two grades of three-hole cloth, one is twelve baht and the other is one or two baht.
the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period
After Qin Shihuang annexed the six countries, in order to consolidate the feudal rule, develop the feudal economy, and unify the coin policy, it was a monetary reform in China's history to promote half a penny in the outer circle. This kind of copper coin avoids the disadvantages of Qian Wen, such as complexity, indistinguishability, different sizes, different weights and unclear currency value. , and formulated the weight and shape to meet the needs. As a milestone in the history of coin development in China, the half-taels of money marked that the shape of the coin with the outer circle and the inner side was shaped from then on, and it was used by all dynasties until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
The appearance of Kaiyuan Bao Tong Coin marks the second coin revolution of China coins since Qin Shihuang unified the currency, which has been popular for 1300 years.
Qin Shihuang annexed six countries.
Commercial activities flourished in the Han dynasty, and the coin system also underwent major reforms. In the fifth year of founding ceremony, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, namely 1 18 BC, he began to cast five baht coins. The weight of money is appropriate, and its size and shape have been used until the Sui Dynasty.
Member of the Anjinquan Coin Museum of the Chinese Coin Society Rong: From the fourth year of Wude, that is, 62 1 year, we began to cast Kaiyuan coins, that is, we abolished the two systems of Thai baht. Then, the historical significance of Kaiyuan Bao Tong is enormous. First, the two-system monetary system was abolished and began to appear. Bowen's currency has the concept of credit currency.
Han Dynasty-Sui Dynasty
Copper coins and iron coins were used together in the Song Dynasty, and a considerable amount of money was cast. More than a dozen emperors have forty or fifty kinds of money every year. Xichun Bao Tong, cast in the seventh year of Xichun in the Southern Song Dynasty, has the word "Qi" on the back, which was changed to lowercase nine years later. This is called chronological money. This coin chronology system was used until the end of the Song Dynasty, which was a major feature of the currency in the Song Dynasty, more than 300 years earlier than the European coin chronology.
China's Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty mainly promoted paper money, and less copper coins were cast.
Song Yuanming
After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, silver became the main currency, and copper coins were only used for small payments, but they were still the focus of government issuance. During Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, absorbed the advanced technology of western coinage, bought a coinage machine from England, set up a mint in Guangzhou, took the lead in creating machine coinage, and implemented the third revolution in the history of coins in China. Advanced coinage technology was successful in the late Guangxu period. Since then, the mechanism currency has fully entered the monetary field of our country.
The ancient coins of various periods in China have stood the test of 4000 years' ups and downs, with a long history, dazzling array, various shapes and varieties, creating more than 70 world's best, which is unmatched by any country in the world.
Coins can be said to be the epitome of a country's historical development. Chinese ancient coins have gradually formed a unique cultural system of oriental coins in its long development process, so their value has been discovered by more and more people, and ancient coins have also been collected by more and more people.
Coin is not only a means of commodity exchange, but also a special cultural carrier. It is a special commodity, an exquisite work of art, and a reflection of the political, economic, cultural and artistic conditions of different countries in different periods. Take coins in China as an example. The change of money has condensed the historical process of thousands of years, from coins and cloth thousands of years ago to paper money with exquisite printing and advanced counterfeiting technology today, and then to electronic money with "one card taking the world".