The biggest feature of currency in this period is the variety of coinage and the chaotic monetary system. At that time, due to the gradual weakening of the influence of the Zhou Dynasty, countries were fragmented and their economies were self-contained. Countries minted their own currencies and circulated with each other, forming a special situation in which multi-currency system and multi-currency type existed and used for a long time.
Currency Classification in Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period
Judging from the form and distribution, the money in this period can be divided into four types: cloth money, knife money, love money and ant nose money (face money).
Three-hole cloth coin
Cloth coin is an ancient currency in China, which appeared in the early Spring and Autumn Period and was cast and circulated in the late Warring States Period because of its shovel shape. "Cloth" is a homonym of "Qi", which was commonly used in ancient times. Cloth coins evolved from bronze farm tools and were mainly used in Sanjin and Zhouli areas. According to the shape of cloth coins, it can be divided into two categories: empty cloth coins and flat cloth coins.
The original cloth coins retained their appearance as tools, and were original and heavy, so they were called empty cloth. Later, it gradually became lighter, thinner and smaller, and the coin body became completely flaky, which was called flat cloth. Plain cloth is usually cast with place names or recorded words. Later, Wang Mang's new dynasty also made cloth coins.
Bronze shovel-shaped currency in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in China. It appeared in the late Spring and Autumn Period and spread widely after the mid-Warring States Period. Mainly used in Sanjin and Liangzhou areas. It evolved from bronze farm tool shovel, which is called cloth from shovel; Because it looks like a shovel, it is also called shovel cloth.
The earliest cloth coins, the head of which was hollow, kept the handle as a tool, which was called empty cloth. After that, it became a plain cloth, and the coin body completely became a sheet, which was convenient for casting and carrying. Words are often cast on plain cloth, such as Anyi, Jinyang and other place names, as well as monetary units such as one GUI and twelve Zhu (baht). Making hairpin-shaped coins shows that this agricultural tool is used as a medium of exchange in this area. After Wang Mang's retro style, he once remade cloth coins.
Cloth coins are the general name of shovel-shaped coins such as empty cloth and plain cloth cast during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Named for its shape.
knife-shaped coin
Knife coins evolved from the bronze cutting of tools in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, so the handle of knife coins has rings and cracks. The shapes of knife coins are needle-shaped, pointed, round-headed, arc-backed, etc. , mainly distributed in Qi and Yan countries in the east, and later developed to coexist with cloth coins in countries such as Zhao and Zhongshan. There are many kinds, including Qi Dao, Jimo Dao, Anyang Dao, Needle First Dao, Sharp First Dao, Round First Dao and Ming Dao. There are words cast on it. After Qin Shihuang unified China, he unified the monetary system and abandoned shellfish, knives and cloth. Later, Jin Cuodao became one of the coins minted by Wang Mang.
Qi in the east and Yan in the north mainly use knife coins. Knife coins are divided into "Yan Ming Dao" and "Qi Dao Hua". The shape of knife coins is similar to that used by northern nomadic people such as Shanrong and Beidi. Because the face of the knife has the word "Hua", it is called "Dao". The back of the knife is divided into arc back, folded back and straight back, and the cutter head is divided into flat head and pointed head. It was also an early copper coin in China.
Love money
Yi Qian, also called Yi Jin and Huan Qian, is an ancient copper coin in China. Mainly spread in the Qin and Wei Dynasties during the Warring States Period. Round with a round hole in the middle. There are words cast on the money. One said that it evolved from the spinning wheel; Or evolved from the wall ring. It is the predecessor of Fang Kongqian.
"Yi Qian" is a round copper coin cast in the Warring States period in China, which is referred to as "Yi Hua" or "Huan Qian" for short. It is one of the four systems of copper coin casting in the pre-Qin period in China, and it is also the main form of coin casting in Qin State. There are two kinds of money: one is a round hole, which is primitive; The second type is a round square hole (gradually evolved from a round hole). At first, the perforation of money was narrow, and then it gradually became bigger. There is an inscription on the front of the money, but there is no text on the back.
Ant nose money
Ant-nose money is the currency of Chu State in Jianghuai Valley, which is transformed from imitation shellfish. Because Chu's economy and culture lagged behind the countries in the Central Plains, shovels, knives and spinning wheels were used later, and copper coins followed the form of imitation shells. The shape of ant nose money is oval, with a convex front and a smooth back. It is shaped like a shell, but smaller.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, ant nose money has been unearthed in Henan and Jiangsu. Face money is found in Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and other places. 1963, 5000 pieces of grimace money were unearthed in Xiaogan Wild Boar Lake, Hubei Province, with the word "curse" on the face, with an average weight of about 4.37 grams. Judging from the location, tombs and number of excavations. Ant nose money was cast in the early Warring States period (5th century BC), and face money was cast in the middle and late Warring States period in 4th-3rd century BC. Chu's territory was not large at first, but gradually expanded, and the circulation scope of ant nose money and face money also expanded, gradually forming an independent monetary system in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.