An Introduction to

Traditional Chinese Coinage

Robert W. Hoge and Frederic C. Withington

American Numismatic Society

Summer Graduate Seminar, 2010

Bei

Cowries

Bei qian

Guan

“Peng”Cypraea moneta L.

Bei Qian

Gui lian qian

Chu State“Sui tu lei”

Bronze work

Xia ting

Shang urn

Chu State coin mold, for Gui lian qian

Hollow-handled“Spade money,” Jin or bu

Eastern ZhouEarly Spring and

Autumn Period

“Square-

Shoulder

Spade”

“Old Spades”Gu bu

Zhao State,

Lin mint

Chu State, Pei qian dang jin

Xi State,

Li Shi mint

(Shanxi)

DaDao, “knife” or “sword”

Qi Zhi Fa Hua

Qi StateYi (“Ming” dao)

Yan State

“Knife Money”

Warring States: round coins

(Qin)

Zhong yi liang shi-si zhu

(Zhou)

Yuan

(Zhou)

Chang Yuan yi jin(Yi)

Yi liu huo

Qin Shi Huangdi221-207 BC

Qin to HanBan liang (half-ounce pieces)

ca. 250 –118 BC

Han to SuiWu zhu (5-zhu pieces)

118 BC- AD 618

Western Qin

Western Han

Nian Hao

WuZhu First cast in 5th

year of the Yuan Shou

period

Posterior Han

Han Wu Di,

141-87 BC

Wang Mang“Xin” dynasty (interregnum)

AD 7-22

Da Chuan wu shi

“Great coinage 50”

You Bu san bai

“Juvenile spade 300”

HAN to SUI

Northern Zhou

Yong tong wan guo

ca. 580

Yu Zhu (“jade

chopstick”) script

Western Han

Plaster master mold,

(dated 63 BC?)

Wu zhu

Sui

Wen Di, 581-604

Wu zhu of Wen Di

Tang

Tai Zong, 626-649

Gao Zu, 618-626“Ming Huan”

Xuan Zong,

712-756

Lady Wu Zi’tian

Wu Zhao

The Li Family

Tang

Kai yuan tong-bao, introduced by TaiZong in 626.

“Mother” or ”seed” coin, with reverse “nail” imprint

Song

Song Shen Zong

1068-1085

Song Zhen Zong

998-1022

Song Tai Zu

Zhao Kuangyin

960-976

Cha

brick

Song

Song Hui Zong, 1101-1125

Da Guan tongbao, 1107-1110

(“Slender gold” Imperial script)

Chang An mint, Shaanxi Chong Ning zhongbao, 1102-1106

(orthodox script)

Southern Song

Huai An Jun, Jin Tang Xian,

Mian fu qian, zhe na yin,

Mei ting zhong, Wu Shi Liang

("Huai An District, Jin Tang County,

corvee-labor exemption money;

calculation payment silver,

each ingot weighs, 50 liang")

Yuan bao

“sycee” xisi

(Yale Cantonese:

saisi)