[chinafigure]
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 2,250 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

Under reconstruction (October, 2008): For dates, reign lengths and transliterations I have used: David Hartill, Cast Chinese Coins, Trafford Publishing, Victoria BC, Canada (2005)


| Chou and Qin |
| Western Han - Eastern Han |
| Three Kingdoms - Disunion Period |
| Sui and Tang |
| Five Dynasties and Tartars |
| Northern Song |
| Southern Song |
| Yuan, Ming and Qing |



Chou Dynasty (1122 - 221 BC)

[Bone cowrie]8k JPG
Anonymous (circa 800 - 400 BC (?))
Bone imitation cowrie
H 1.2; 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 - 400 BC (?))
AE imitation cowrie
H 1.3; FD 3, Mitchiner ACW 5374, Schjoth -
16 x 21 mm.
2.23 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

80k JPG
Anonymous (circa ? BC)
Pottery imitation cowrie
H -; FD -, Schjoth -
18 x 29 mm.
1.85 gm.
Obverse:
Reverse:


[ant nose]4k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 220 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
H 1.4; FD 4, Mitchiner ACW 5376, Schjoth XX.15
9 x 14 mm.
0.78 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose]6k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 220 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
H 1.4; FD 4, Mitchiner ACW 5376, Schjoth XX.16
12 x 17 mm.
1.96 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose]7k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 220 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
H 1.12; FD 5, Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth -
11 x 19 mm.
1.37 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[ant nose]6k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 220 BC)
AE 'ghost head' or 'ant nose'
H 1.9 (?); FD 6, Mitchiner ACW 5377, Schjoth XX.14
10 x 20 mm.
1.83 gm.
reverse
Obverse:
Reverse:

[bridge]51k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 220 BC (?))
AE 'bridge money'
H -; 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.

80k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 220 BC (?))
AE "Wa-Wa (Cicada) Money"
H -; FD -, Schjoth -
21 x 40 mm.
4.26 gm.
Obverse: (no inscription)
Reverse: (no inscription)
Note: This may not be a monetary object.


[knife]79k JPG
Anonymous (circa 600 - 400 BC)
AE 'knife money'
H 4.17 (?); FD 338 (?), Mitchiner ACW -, Schjoth 65
165 x 26 mm.
13.41 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Ba' (?)
Reverse: (?)

[knife]40k JPG
Anonymous (circa 400 - 220 BC)
AE 'knife money''
H 4.42 6.l variant; FD 344, Mitchiner ACW 5360v., Schjoth 58
142 x 17 mm.
14.56 gm.
obverse
Reverse: 'Nei Liu' (six) (?)
Obverse: 'Ming'


80k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC; state: Yan)
AE 'square-footed spade'
H 3.401; FD 175; Schjoth 5
27 x 42 mm.
5.16 gm.
Obverse: 'Xiang Ping'
Reverse:

[square-footed spade]27k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC; state: Liang or Zhao)
AE 'square-footed spade'
H 3.361; FD 168, 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; state: Yan)
AE 'square-footed spade'
H 3.366; FD 178
26 x 38 mm.
5.87 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Ping Yin'
Reverse:

[square-footed spade]24k JPG
Anonymous (circa 350 - 250 BC; state: Yan)
AE 'square-footed spade'
H 3.366; FD 178
27 x 43 mm.
5.02 gm.
reverse
Obverse: 'Ping Yin'
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:

90k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
Schjoth 76
25 mm.
3.15 gm.
Obverse:
Reverse:

80k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
Schjoth 76
25 mm.
1.85 gm.
Obverse:
Reverse:

60k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
Schjoth 77
19 mm.
1.08 gm.
Obverse: 'Yi (1) Huo'
Reverse:

60k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
Schjoth 78
20 mm.
1.53 gm.
Obverse: 'Yi (1) Huo'
Reverse:

60k JPG
Anonymous (circa 250 - 221 BC)
AE Cash
Schjoth 78
20 mm.
1.85 gm.
Obverse: 'Yi (1) Huo'
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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