Category: Chinese coins

A recent Chinese newspaper article describes how some valuable coins from a popular peasant uprising at the end of the Qing Dynasty were saved from being used as scrap iron for a backyard furnace during the Great Leap Forward campaign of 1958-1961.

The article entitled “Grandfather Saved Iron Coins from the Taiping Rebellion” was published in the May 5, 2011 edition of the “Chutian City News” (楚天都市报).

During the Great Leap Forward, Mao Zedong encouraged every commune and urban neighborhood to establish backyard steel furnaces in order to accelerate China’s economic development.

Since the village discussed in the article did not have the necessary iron ore to feed the furnace, every household was required to provide a specific quantity of “scrap iron”.

But the villagers also did not have “scrap iron” so they were forced to provide perfectly good iron utensils and tools in order to meet the requirement.

The “grandfather”, who happened to be one of the technicians in charge of the local furnace, discovered that someone had provided a string of 10-20 iron coins from the Taiping Rebellion as “scrap iron” for the furnace.  He felt that it would be “a waste” to destroy the coins so he secretly hid them in his pocket and took them home.

Over the years, the coins were gradually passed down to various family members.

The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) was a civil war which began in southern China.  The leader Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全), who was convinced that he was the younger brother of Jesus, declared himself to be the “Heavenly King” (tian wang 天王) of “The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace” (taiping tianguo 太平天国).

The rebellion would eventually spread through 15 provinces and include 30 million people before it was put down by government troops aided by French and British forces.

Most Taiping Rebellion coins were cast in bronze with only a very small number made in iron or lead.  Gold and silver coins also exist but are extremely rare.

The coins have some interesting characteristics.  For example, none of the coins bear a denomination.  Also, the character guo (国) in the inscription, which means “kingdom”, is written with a wang (王) character inside the “square box” (kou 口) instead of the standard yu (玉) character.

The inscriptions on the coins can also vary.  Obverse inscriptions include tian guo (天国), taiping tianguo (太平天国) and tianguo shengbao (天国聖寶).  Reverse inscriptions can include shengbao (聖寶) and taiping (太平).

The iron coin shown in the article and displayed here has the obverse inscription “Heavenly Kingdom” (tianguo 天国) and the reverse inscription “Holy Coin” (shengbao 聖寶).

The coins have a diameter of 35 mm and weigh about 16.3 grams.

The Great Leap Forward proved to be an economic disaster for China with the “backyard furnaces” being just one example.  Labor was diverted from the fields, the wood needed for the furnaces came from the doors and furniture of the peasants, the needed “scrap metal” consisted of perfectly good pots and pans, and the resulting pig iron was of such poor quality as to be useless.

China recently auctioned the largest gold coin the country has ever minted.  In the year 2000 when it was produced, it held the distinction of being the largest gold coin in the world.

The coin sold for about $1.18 million (7.70 million yuan) at an auction conducted by China Guardian Auctions on May 14, 2011 in Beijing.

The “2000 Millennium Commemorative Gold Coin” has a face value of 30,000 yuan. The coin weighs 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and is 99.99 percent pure gold.

A total of 20 of these coins were minted with this coin being Number 17.

While it may have been the largest gold coin in the world in 2000, it pales in comparison to the current record holder.

According to Guinness World Records, the largest gold coin in the world is now a coin minted by the Royal Canadian Mint in the year 2007.  The legal-tender “Maple Leaf” coin has a purity of 99.999 percent and a face value of CAN$1 million.  It weighs 100 kilograms (220 lbs).  The diameter is 50 cm (19.6 inches) and the thickness is 3 cm (1.1 inches).

A total of 5 of these coins have been minted.

One of these Canadian gold coins sold for $4.02 million at auction in June 2010 in Vienna, Austria.

The ban liang coin was the official money of the state of Qin during the Warring States period.  When Qin Shi Huang conquered the various “warring states” and unified China for the first time in 221 BC, the ban liang became the official coinage of the empire.  The ban liang continued as the official currency even into the beginning of the Han Dynasty.

An article in a Chinese numismatic publication introduces a newly discovered and never seen before variety of the Chinese ban liang coin.  In addition to the normal square hole in the center of the coin, these coins have an additional one or two holes drilled into them.

The Volume One 2010 edition of “China Numismatics” has an article entitled “Zhangjiachuan Prefecture Excavates ‘Drilled Hole’ Ban Liang“.

The author explains that in the summer of 2006 he bought about 200 recently unearthed ban liang coins.  The coins were excavated in Zhangjiachuan prefecture of Gansu Province in northwest China.

Among the coins purchased were a few of a variety that had neither been seen before or reported in the literature.

As can be seen in the illustration*, these coins have one or two additional holes.

The author states that these coins were cast in the state of Qin during the middle to late Warring States Period (475 BC – 221 BC).  The coins range in diameter of 23-33 mm and in weight of 1-8 grams.

The coin shown here has the largest drilled hole but is actually the smallest and lightest of the coins with a diameter of 23 mm and a weight of only 1 gram.

The additional holes are in various areas above or below the square hole.  Some have one large hole while others have two smaller holes.

The author carefully examined each coin and determined that the holes, while not perfectly round, were definitely intentionally made by hand after the casting of the coin.  The holes are not the result of poor casting technique.  The holes were apparently drilled in the larger and thicker areas of each coin and placed so as to avoid damaging the Chinese character inscription.

Unfortunately, the specifics as to where the coins were dug up is unknown so we do not know if the coins were buried in a pit or came from a tomb.  Knowing whether the coins came from a buried cache or from a grave could help provide an explanation as to the reason for the holes.

The author speculates that the holes were not made so that the coins could be worn as an ornament or pendant because the off-center placement of the holes would not allow the coin to hang correctly.

Since coins were a symbol of wealth, it is possible that they may have been burial objects.

The author concludes that no matter what the ultimate purpose, the holes were intentionally handmade and not the result of inferior casting technique.

As I discuss in detail at “Emergence of Chinese Charms“, ban liang coins began to appear with various marks and symbols at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).  These symbols include “stars” (dots), “moons” (crescents), “suns” (circles), etc., and symbols on coins gradually became more and more complex until they finally developed into true charms and amulets.

While the purpose of the additional holes on the newly discovered ban liang coins remain unknown, they may very well have been the precursor to the “stars” ,”moons” and “suns” that appeared on the later Han Dynasty coins.

* Color added to black & white image to enhance features

Zhong Kui lived during the reign (712-756 AD) of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty.

However, just at the moment he achieved the pinnacle of success which would guarantee him fame and fortune, he suffered such misfortune that he took his own life.

Over the centuries, a mythical Zhong Kui evolved who, now immortal, protects others from evil and brings happiness and good fortune.

Zhong Kui has also become one of Peking Opera’s most popular and beloved character roles.

On April 20th, China released a second series of gold and silver coins commemorating famous characters of the Peking Opera.  This set of coins, officially known as the Peking Opera Facial Makeup Series, includes a gold coin with a denomination of 100 yuan honoring Bao Zheng who was an official during the Northern Song Dynasty and a symbol of justice and integrity.  Two silver coins denominated at 10 yuan were also released.  One silver coin honors Dian Wei who was a military general under Cao Cao during the Han Dynasty.

The other silver coin, shown at the left, honors Zhong Kui who is a character in the ever popular Peking Opera “Zhong Kui Marries Off His Sister”.

Zhong Kui was a gifted scholar who succeeded in passing the highest examination of the imperial examination system making him eligible for an important office which would ensure a life of wealth and honor.

However, Zhong Kui was denied these rewards because he happened to be physically disfigured and was considered too ugly.

Zhong Kui was so despondent that he committed suicide by bashing his head against a pillar.

In China, history and myth frequently merge and this was the case with Zhong Kui.  The immortal Jade Emperor took pity on him and appointed him to be the protector of mortals and to be both judge and executioner in the fight against demons and evil spirits.

Pictures of Zhong Kui, in his mythical role as the “Demon Slayer” or “Demon Chaser”, have traditionally been hung on the walls of Chinese houses as a form of protection.

For the same reason, Zhong Kui is also seen on old Chinese charms and amulets such as the one at the left.

A robust and heavily-bearded Zhong Kui is seen here wielding his famous “Demon Slaying” sword.

The projections extending from each side of his hat are actually “demon-seeking” devices which point at unseen and lurking dangers.

Also, just above and to the left of his head is a bat.  The bat is often seen together with Zhong Kui as a symbol of “good fortune” and “happiness”.

This is because the Chinese language facilitates the creation of puns and rebuses.

In Chinese, the word for “bat” (fu) and the word for “happiness” (fu) have the same pronunciation.

Also, if you observe closely, you will notice that the bat is actually flying upside-down.  The Chinese word for “upside-down” (dao) and the expression “have arrived” (dao) have the same pronunciation.

Therefore, to say “the bat is upside-down” sounds exactly like saying “happiness has arrived”!

Some of the same characteristics that identify this “mythical” Zhong Kui can also be found in his Peking Opera character.

For example, the makeup of Zhong Kui on the Peking Opera coin includes a heavy beard.

Moreover, the beard helps set off the face which, along with the ears that look like wings, gives the face the appearance of a bat.

As already mentioned, the “bat” symbolizes the “happiness” he can bring to mortals.

To further emphasize the “bat” and “happiness” rebus, an image of a bat flying downwards is actually painted on the forehead.

As part of the makeup, Zhong Kui is given red cheeks to symbolize dignity.  The painted black and white lines on the face express uprightness and the mouth is shown smiling to express Zhong Kui’s amiability.

The top of the head is painted red as a reminder that he died by beating his head against a pillar.

However, at the very top of his head is an oval-shaped design which in reality is a very stylized version of the Chinese character shou meaning “longevity”.   In spite of his suicide, Zhong Kui became immortal.

The Zhong Kui of the Tang Dynasty was denied the honor, wealth and happiness he had earned and he died in sorrow by his own hand.

But the mythical Zhong Kui has become immortalized as a popular character in traditional Peking Opera.

And, for many centuries, images of Zhong Kui have been hung in countless Chinese homes and carried as charms and amulets to provide protection from evil spirits and to bring “happiness” and “good fortune”.