Drachmas Doubloons and Dollars: The History of Money
(Exhibition Home)
Ancient and Medieval East and South Asia
Introduction
Early Chinese Money - The Reforms of Wang Mang - The Tang and the Tongbao - Viet Nam - Japan - India and South Asia - Southeast Asia - Korea
Early Chinese Money

Gold or Silver coins issued by Chinese rulers are exceedingly rare. Chinese money evolved from cowrie shells to representations of agricultural tools, such as knives and spades. In 221 BC, Qin Shihuangdi unified China, forcing his banliang coin on the empire. This round coin with a square hole set the standard of appearance for Chinese coins for 2,000 years.
Gold ingot with inscription "50" (c. 700 BC).
Bronze knife of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1122-255 BC), 6th-5th centuries BC, probably a prototype not for circulation.
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Bronze ming knife of Yan state (475-221 BC).
Bronze banliang coin of Qin state (330-221 BC).
Stone "ant-nose" coin of Zhu state (c. 420-c.230 BC).
Bronze half-jin spade of Wei state (475-221 BC) from Pingyang mint.