In primitive society, our ancestors first used barter as a means of commodity exchange. However, with the continuous development of productive forces, there are more and more surplus goods and more types of goods exchanged, which makes it inconvenient to exchange them in kind. After that, we need to use some natural objects as a means of exchanging goods. Because shellfish itself has a natural unit, and it is light, strong and easy to carry, and at the same time, in primitive society, our ancestors regarded shellfish as an ornament and were familiar with it, so it is the most convenient and appropriate way to exchange things with shellfish. Therefore, it can be said that shellfish is the earliest currency in China. At first, natural shellfish were used, and then artificial bone shellfish, stone shellfish, pottery shellfish and copper shellfish were produced.
The earliest iron money in China
According to the historical records of coins, the earliest iron coins in China were five baht cast by Gongsun Shu when he proclaimed himself emperor in Chengdu, Sichuan at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, which has been denied. After liberation, a large number of iron coins were unearthed in the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty in Changsha, Hunan, Hengyang, and Xi 'an, Shaanxi. Only 32 tombs of the Western Han Dynasty were unearthed in Changsha, with the word "semi-Liang" on the face book, which was empty or with Guo, and its shape and weight were very similar to those of Wendi's four baht and a half. Therefore, it can be said that this semi-iron in the early Western Han Dynasty was the earliest iron money in China.
The earliest lead coin in China
All kinds of lead coins used in tombs or kiln burials have been unearthed in various parts of China, such as lead love, lead coins, lead spring 50, lead five baht and so on. But these lead coins are either secret money or counterfeit money minted privately by the people, and they are not real official money. The official lead coins in circulation in China should be lead kaiyuan Xiaopingqian, which was minted by Fujian Wang in the second year (9 16) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Lead coins are divided into three types: bare back, back "Fu" and back "Min".
China was the first to use coins with wrong gold technology.
In the second year (AD 7), Wang Mang carried out the first reform. In addition to the original five baht, he also issued three new currencies, namely Daquan 50, Qidao 500 and Qidao 5000. The shape of the knife with a flat 5 thousand is very similar to that of the present key. The money body consists of a knife ring and a handle. The ring says "one", the next one says "Dao" and the handle says "Ping 5 thousand". Among them, the word "one knife" in the ring is inlaid with gold, commonly known as "Jin Cuodao", and each piece is worth five baht and five thousand yuan.
It is the earliest coin used in China, and it is also the only coin made by the wrong gold technology. Because of its exquisite production, strange shape and rare existence, it is cherished by coin collectors. In China's ancient poems, there are many praises to Jin Cuodao, such as Du Fu's poem: "A silver pot of wine is easy to remember when gold is wrong".
The longest-used coin in China
In the fifth year of founding ceremony, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (A.D. 1 18), the county was ordered to cast five baht, and the "five baht" was as heavy as its writing, with the front outside and the back inside. Five baht money is moderate in size and convenient to use. The birth of five baht in Yuanshou initiated the five baht system, which was a major reform in China's monetary history. From the fifth year of founding ceremony, Emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, to the fourth year of Wude in Tang Gaozu (62 1), five baht * * * has been in circulation for 739 years, and it is the longest-used currency in China.
China's earliest country name, year number and coins.
In 4 19 AD, King Helian Bobo of Daxia also took control of all the cities (now Baichengzi in Jingbian, Shaanxi Province) and changed to the Yuan Dynasty to make money for the "revitalization of Daxia". Daxia is the title, and revitalization is the title. "Summer is really prosperous" Money is the earliest coin cast together with the country name and year number in China.
China was the first to cast round coins with square holes with place names.
The sage of Lingling said, "Liu Bei has painted Chengdu, but his military strength is insufficient and he is very worried. Liu Ba said,' It sounds good, but you have to invest 100 yuan directly to balance the price.' Get ready. A few months later, the national treasury was enriched. "The straight hundred dollars here refers to the straight one hundred and fifty baht. There is a straight 150 baht with the word "Wei" on the back, which was cast by Liu Bei in Sichuan. It is the earliest square hole round money with place names in China.