Traditional Chinese money could be interpreted as both objects and ideas. The two main functions of money are “to serve in payment, and to serve in the fulfillment of an obligation, whether of a commercial, fiscal, administrative, religious or social nature.” While the “fulfillment of a payment is usually quantitative, the fulfillment of an obligation is usually qualitative” (1). Money in early China took on various forms and differed amongst the dynasties. The Han Dynasty was known for using knife money which was employed before the time of the terracotta warriors. In addition, round coins were also casted during the Han dynasty. Interestingly, my classmate, Jialin, pointed out how they exhibit symbolism. The inner square of the coin represents the Earth, while the outer circle represents Heaven. The Tang dynasty used bolts of silk as payment, whereas the Jing dynasty used bolts of silk, as well as grains. Textiles were also commonly used as a form of currency exchange during the Han and Tang dynasties. Additionally, theYuan period used bank notes and print plates. The Ming dynasty used paper money. Paper money did not survive and was deemed worthless by 1430 (slides). As a result, they replaced paper money with the use of silver. Furthermore, the Qin and Han monetary systems were known as bi-metallic and consisted of gold and silver.
As coins are known to be the most common form of currency, “the act of issuing coinage can be seen as an assertion of political authority and the right to rule, as a means of improving or maintaining social and economic stability, and as a means of financial gain” (10). Although archeologists are known to be responsible for performing a lot of the work involving coins, it is often difficult to interpret the evidence of coins. For example, the wuzhu coin, which was for over 700 years in China, lacked any sort of a consistent identification. The fact that there is not much information about these coins differentiates them from the traditional Greek and Roman coins. The Greek and Romans were known for creating lifelike portraits and knew what every one of their emperors looked like. On the other hand, the Chinese did not have any images of emperors on their coins, or have any idea of what they looked like. Sometimes they use the same coins over hundreds of years. It is quite fascinating how the consistency, quality and purpose of coins have evolved as a form of currency throughout Chinese history.
Three Things I learned this week:
- Money can be interpreted as objects and ideas.
- Coins are manmade and durable. Other manmade money-objects include grain, textiles and feathers.
- Although it is difficult to interpret the evidence of coins, they are seen as a useful means of dating of a[n] [archaeological] site” (10).
Works Cited
Slides (Gdrive link)
Horesh, Niv. Chinese Money in Global Context : Historic Junctures between 600 BCE and 2012. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2014.
Wang, Helen. Money on the Silk Road: The Evidence from Eastern Central Asia to c. AD 800. London: British Museum Press, 2004.
