Currency (money) is the medium of commodity exchange and an inevitable product of the development of commodity production. The well-documented origin of Chinese currency is the "copper shell" from the Shang and Tang Dynasties, and before that Xia and Shang, bone shells, stone shells, and pottery shells have begun to circulate. The development of shells from ornaments to currency can be traced back to the Huangdi period. Chinese currency has a history of monetary civilization of four to five thousand years since the use of shells.
The origin of metal currency should be the Yin Shang Dynasty. It was after the Chinese ancestors mastered the technology of smelting metals. Bronze blocks were unearthed in some Yin Shang tombs. These may be the earliest metal currencies.
Early imitation currency was produced after China went through a long period of barter trade. With different regional economies, different tribes used different early currencies. Some controversial bronze wares unearthed today: such as axes, axes, fish, and net-shaped wares, are similar in shape to practical wares but small in size. Some of them are mature. They were unearthed in small batches, and the unearthed tombs all appeared in the Yin and Shang tombs before the Qin Dynasty. Therefore, many researchers of ancient coin collections regard these objects as early Yin Shang currencies.
Pre-Qin currency
During the Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou periods before Qin unified China. Due to the different living environments of each tribe (country), its coinage began after an indefinite period, and its main production tools were used as prototypes. According to research, there are four main origins: people living in forest areas made imitation coins based on sharp tools such as knives, axes, and swords. Depending on the region, these coins have more or less characters or characters based on place names. This practice of naming the place continued until the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Another major type is the gradually mature trajectory of shovel and cloth profiling casting that lives in agricultural areas. Tribes living in areas with more water on the lake are engaged in hunting and fishing. Their coins are like totems, place names, weights, and so on. In some areas with developed handicraft industries, the currency of the same period showed round coins with square holes or round coins with round holes that were commensurate with their level of civilization. Whether this currency is an imitation of spindles or jade is still a mystery. But it is certain that tribes using round coins are more civilized and developed.
Qin and Han currency
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods before the Qin unified China, the Chinese ancestors created a coin with a square hole and a round weight that implied a round sky and a round earth. The writing is simple, the calligraphy is written in large seal script, and the half-liang coins of different weights and sizes are now commonly known as Pre-Qin Banliang or Warring States Banliang. After Qin Shihuang unified China. On the basis of the unified balance system, Qin Heng was used as the basis to unify the Qin Banliang. But soon, due to tyranny and huge military spending, the minted currency continued to lose weight. When Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty started to raise troops, he minted his own money in order to raise money for the army. Qian Wen adopted Qin Banliang's old name. But the actual weight is only about three baht. And the people are allowed to cast it by themselves. Therefore, most of the small seal script banliang, which are thin, small, and have flat characters, are Han banliang. Because the officials and the people minted the coins at different times and in different places, the varieties were so diverse that it was impossible to collect them all. As half a liang of money repeatedly lost weight and its credit was reduced, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty went on a military rampage and the country was short of funds, so he issued light coins to pass on the economic crisis. He first ordered that half a liang of money be struck and minted three baht, and at the same time, white deer skin coins were issued internally (at that time (worth 400,000), and issued three grades of one hundred gold to the outside world, cast with silver and tin. The dragon, horse, and turtle were worth three thousand, five hundred, and three hundred respectively. The undervalued currency was used to plunder people's wealth. Five baht coins were first minted in the fifth year of hunting in the Han Dynasty (AD 18). By the fourth year of Wude, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty (AD 621), the five-baht coin lasted nearly seven to eight hundred years. It is the currency with the longest minting period in our country. The number left in the world is huge and the categories are diverse.
Currency during Wang Mang's period
Wang Mang has implemented three currency reforms since the second year of Jushe (seventh year AD) and minted exquisite coins that are world-famous. The first time Wang Mang changed his currency, he mainly minted three high-value coins: "Daquan Fifty", "Qidao" and "Cao Dao". The second time (9 AD) he abolished the knife money and banned five baht. There are two kinds of coins, "Daquan Fifty" and "Xiaoquan Zhiyi". Therefore, these two coins are widely circulated to this day. The third reform began in the second year of the founding of the People's Republic of China (10 AD), and the treasure goods system was implemented. There are five items in the area (gold, silver, copper, turtles, and shells), six items (ink items, shell items, cloth items, turtle treasures, silver items, and gold), and twenty-eight items.
Although the money system is chaotic, the quality of his money making is at its peak, so Wang Mang is known as the number one money making master. Wang Mang's money calligraphy uses hanging money seals, and the money he casts, whether it is round coins, cloth coins, or knife coins, has a tall and straight outline, so it protects the writing very well, making the coins that have been handed down so popular that everyone can't bear to let go of them.
Currency of the Three Kingdoms
Wei, Shu, and Wu were known as the Three Kingdoms in history. The currency system during this period was complex, coupled with the raging wars and unknown historical records, it is now classified as the currency of the Three Kingdoms period. The place where it was minted When cast together, it is difficult to decompose.
During the Three Kingdoms period, different regions had different money systems; Wei got five baht and Shu cast five baht, and there were also one hundred and five baht. Wu had Daquan five hundred, Daquan equivalent to one thousand, Daquan two thousand, Daquan Five thousand and so on. There are also Taiping 100 coins and Dingping 100 coins, which were also minted when Zhujian returned to the Three Kingdoms. Taiping 100 coins were minted by Yue Lian, the governor of Yizhou, and Dingping 100 coins may also have been minted by Shu. Currency of the Two Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties History books do not mention anything about coinage in the Western Jin Dynasty. Five baht coins were mainly used at that time. When the Western Jin Dynasty unified China, the treasury was abundant and the national power was strong. Therefore, in addition to using the old money of the Han Dynasty, they should mint their own money. To this day, it is not easy to distinguish between Wei and Jin baht. At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, after the Eight Kings Rebellion, each ethnic minority group went their own way, and many even minted their own money. The leaders of the Ba tribe, Li Te and Li Liu, founded the Han Dynasty in Sichuan and cast "Han Xing", which was the first currency named after an era name in the history of our country. Shi Le replaced the Huns and established the Former Zhao Dynasty and established himself as king. It was called the Later Zhao Dynasty in history and created "fenghuo". Zhang Gui casts "Liang creates a new spring" in Qianliang. During the Southern Dynasties, cutting the old Han five baht into small coins became popular and privately minted. Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty cast four baht in the seventh year of Yuanjia (430 AD). Little has been passed down, and later it was recast as Xiaojian Si Baht. The writing on this spring is slender, and the seal writing is flying, like dancing sleeves, which is very beautiful. In 465 AD, Yongguang was cast again. A few months later, it was changed to Yuan Jinghe, and Jinghe was cast again. Two coins are extremely rare in the world. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty, two types of five-baht were mainly cast, those with wheels and those without wheels. Among them, the ones without wheels were called "female money". After Emperor Liang Yuan moved the capital to Jiangling, he recast it as "two pillars and five baht" for the tenth year. In the second year of Taiping, Emperor Jing of Liang recast it as "four pillars and five baht" for the twenties. Both are now rare. During the Tianjia period, Emperor Chen Wen cast large-scale five-baht coins to resist small coins, and one was equivalent to ten. Emperor Chen Xuan cast Taihe five-baht coins. The seal characters of this spring are well-proportioned and magnificent, and the production is exquisite. It ranks first among the springs in the Southern Dynasties. The Western Wei Dynasty cast Yong'an five baht, the Northern Zhou Dynasty cast Yongtong Wanguo, the five elements cloth, and the spring. These three spring products are commonly known as "Northern Three Baht" with exquisite calligraphy and excellent casters. It is another pinnacle of money casting after Wang Mang.
Currency of the Sui and Tang Dynasties
After Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty defeated the Chen Dynasty, the five baht in the Sui Dynasty became the unified legal tender. The character "五" in the five baht in the Sui Dynasty has an extra one on the left and a vertical character like "fierce". are common. In the early Tang Dynasty, the old money of the Sui Dynasty was still used. In the fourth year of Wude (621 AD), Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty ordered the abolishment of the five baht and the casting of Yuan Tong Bao. This ended the history of the two baht currencies in our country and entered the Baowen currency system. The four-character money inscription "Kaiyuan Tongbao" was composed and written by the calligrapher Ouyang Xun. The text is dignified and dignified, showing the prosperous and peaceful style of the Tang Dynasty. "Kaiyuan Tongbao" has been minted for more than 200 years in the Tang Dynasty. The price has been stable with minimal changes, and merchants and people are happy to use it. The money was still used in the late Qing Dynasty, and it was also one of the longevity stars of coins. The Kaiyuan coin was minted in huge quantities and is circulated today. It is very wide and has many editions. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (the first year of Qianfeng (AD 666)), due to the increasing luxury and military expenditure, he once cast the Qianfeng Quan Bao, one worth ten, but was rejected by the merchants and was forced to stop casting after a year. Therefore, it has been handed down from generation to generation. few. During the Anshi Rebellion, Shi Siming took control of the eastern capital and cast Shuntian, and obtained a large sum of money, one for a hundred. As the saying goes, "It's easy to get what you want, but it's hard to find one." After the Anshi Rebellion, the economy of the Tang Dynasty was severely damaged. In order to pay for military expenses, Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty cast a new Qianyuan treasure in the first year of Qianyuan, one for ten, then one for five, one for three, and finally one for one, and went with Kaiyuan. . This is the beginning of Qian Wenzhong's heavy treasure money. Qianyuan coins were minted from Suzong to the end of the Tang Dynasty, so they were widely circulated and the formats were complex.