In ancient Chinese history, silver was used on a large scale during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Before that, people used copper coins most, because all the items that people needed daily, as long as they were not very valuable, Basically, just use copper coins. There is no need to use silver at this time. In the dynasties before the Ming and Qing Dynasties, silver was still a precious metal, and its output was limited. Generally, only those doing business, officials, and wealthy families could afford silver. The main reason was that the value of silver was much higher than that of copper coins. The situation at that time was that the price comparison between the two was extremely unequal. Under normal circumstances, one tael of silver could be exchanged for 1,000 copper coins, but most of the time the value of silver was higher and the value of copper coins was lower. After all, copper There are many more mines than silver mines, and the use of copperware among the people is also relatively common.

And the value of silver also fluctuates in various periods. In a normal year, we use the rice that one tael of silver can buy as a reference, because rice is a necessity and needs to be eaten at all times. , so it is the hard currency of all dynasties and has the most reference value. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, one tael of silver could buy about 1 stone of rice. One stone of rice was about 59 kilograms, which is 118 catties. Now the price of ordinary white rice on the market is about 2.5 yuan per catty. So one tael of silver in ancient times was about 295 yuan today. .

For example, in the Tang Dynasty, one tael of silver could buy 2,500 kilograms of rice. According to the current estimate of 2.5 yuan per kilogram of rice, one tael of silver would be 6,250 yuan, which is basically equivalent to a month's salary of a current civil servant. .

After that, the price of silver gradually dropped. By the Qing Dynasty, one tael of silver was generally equivalent to about 500 yuan when converted into rice.

As of now, on September 17, 2021, the price of silver is 4.75 yuan per gram, and one tael is 31.25 grams, worth 150 yuan. It can be seen that with the advancement of smelting technology, the price ratio of silver is gradually falling.

Silver ingots of the Tang Dynasty

The main currency of the Tang Dynasty was Kaiyuan Tongbao, which was usually made of copper. It had the same shape as the five-baht coin of the Han Dynasty. There were also gold and silver coins, but the gold Silver Kaiyuan Tongbao is generally not circulated, but is used as a collection or royal reward. Silver ingots and copper Kaiyuan Tongbao are two currencies that complement each other and are used more in circulation. One tael of silver ingots in the Tang Dynasty is almost equal to 1,000 Money.

In the early years of Zhenguan, the price of a bushel of rice was 15 cents. By the middle of the Zhenguan period, the price of a bushel of rice had dropped to 2 cents. In the prosperous age of Kaiyuan, the price of a bushel of rice was 13 cents. In the Tang Dynasty, the price of a bushel of rice was 13 cents. It is 12.5 kilograms. When converted, the price of rice in the early to mid-Tang Dynasty was 0.16 to 1.2 cents per kilogram. Let’s use the highest price, because the price of grain in the middle and late Tang Dynasty began to rise again, even exceeding 50 cents per bucket of rice.

The Kaiyuan Tongbao of the Tang Dynasty was also made of silver

The main currencies of the Song Dynasty were copper coins, silver coins, silver ingots, and even banknotes, but they were rarely used. At this time, silver began to circulate in large quantities. Because the Song Dynasty had to pay tribute to the Liao and Jin in the north, the amount was huge, and they generally paid tribute in silver. Among the people, silver also began to circulate, and the weight of silver ingots (equivalent to the value of goods) in the Song Dynasty was also increasing, from three taels to three taels. Silver ingots range from fifty taels to fifty taels. It is precisely because of the decline in currency value and the rise in prices that people began to circulate silver ingots. You must know that the face value of silver ingots is very large. Even a silver ingot of three taels is still three thousand Wen. .

One tael of silver in the Song Dynasty was equal to 1,000 Wenqian, and one stone in the Song Dynasty was equal to 59.2 kilograms. Due to years of war in the Song Dynasty, food prices were relatively high. During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, the price of grain was 700 cents per stone. By the time of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, the price of grain had risen to 1,000 cents per stone, 5.9 to 8.5 cents per pound of rice. One tael of silver could buy 117 to 169 pounds of grain. According to current grain prices Calculated at a price of 3 yuan per catty, one tael of silver in the Song Dynasty was worth 351 to 507 yuan. This should be the higher value of one tael of silver, and the further it goes, the more depreciated it becomes.

But after all, modern people are farther away than people in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and have less understanding of the monetary system of the previous dynasty and the actual purchasing power of silver coins. Readers or viewers who are curious about the economic situation in ancient times should have a clearer understanding of the value of "silver tael".