China: Chou and Qin

a n c i e n t  c h i n a

The coinage of China has not really changed (until very recently) for the last 2250 years. With the exception of some spade, knife and bridge shaped pieces, most Chinese coins are cast bronze (AE), uniface, round and have a square hole in the middle. The odd shape of the 'ant nose' specimens suggest a substitution of the cowrie shell, once used as currency in China (see below). There is a tradition that they were inserted into the noses of the dead to keep out the ants. They may or may not be real 'coins'.

r e f e r e n c e s

For dates, reign lengths and pinyin system transliterations I have used: Ann Paludan, Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors, Thames and Hudson, New York (1998)

Chou Dynasty (1122 - 221 BC)

[Bone cowrie] 8k JPG
Anonymous (circa 800 BC)
Bone imitation cowrie
FD 2, Mitchiner ACW 5371, Schjoth -
16 x 25 mm.
2.54 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse: 2 holes.

[AE cowrie] 10k JPG
Anonymous (circa 800 BC)
AE imitation cowrie
FD 3, Mitchiner ACW 5374, Schjoth -
16 x 21 mm.
2.23 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose] 4k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 300 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
FD 4, Mitchiner ACW 5376, Schjoth XX.15
9 x 14 mm.
0.78 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose] 6k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 300 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
FD 4, Mitchiner ACW 5376, Schjoth XX.16
12 x 17 mm.
1.96 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose] 7k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 300 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
FD 5, Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth -
11 x 19 mm.
1.37 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose] 6k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 300 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
FD 6, Mitchiner ACW 5377, Schjoth XX.14
10 x 20 mm.
1.83 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[bridge] 51k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 300 BC (?))
AE 'bridge money'
FD -, Mitchiner ACW 5493, Schjoth -
102 x 38 mm.
14.30 gm.
reverse
Obverse: (no inscription)
Reverse: (no inscription)
Note: This may not be a monetary object.

[knife] 79k JPG
Anonymous (circa 450 - 250 BC)
AE 'knife money'
FD 338 (?), Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth 65
165 x 26 mm.
13.41 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Da' (?)
Reverse: (?)

[knife] 40k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 250 BC)
AE 'knife money''
FD 344, Mitchiner ACW 5360v., Schjoth 58
142 x 17 mm.
14.56 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Zhong' (?)
Reverse: 'Ming' (?)

[square-footed spade] 27k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC)
AE 'square-footed spade'
FD 158, Mitchiner ACW 5358, Schjoth 11
27 x 45 mm.
6.09 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Ping Yang'
Reverse:

[square-footed spade] 22k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC)
AE 'square-footed spade'
FD 178, Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth -
26 x 38 mm.
5.87 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Yin Ping'
Reverse:

[square-footed spade] 24k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC)
AE 'square-footed spade'
FD 178, Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth -
27 x 43 mm.
5.02 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Yin Ping'
Reverse:

[Yuan] 34k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
FD 358, Mitchiner ACW 5383, Schjoth 73
44 mm.
8.73 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Yuan'; round hole.
Reverse:

[Yi Huo] 11k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
FD 382, Mitchiner ACW 5380, Schjoth 78
20 mm.
1.62 gm.
reverse
Obverse: ' Yi (1) Huo'
Reverse:

Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC)

Qin Shihuangdi (221 - 210 BC)

Er Shi (210 - 207 BC)

[Qin] 20k JPG
Anonymous (circa 221 - 210 BC)
AE Cash
FD 386, Mitchiner ACW 5387, Schjoth 80
31 mm.
7.43 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Pan Liang'
Reverse:

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