“Horse coins” have been mentioned in Chinese literature for centuries but it is still unclear exactly how they were used. It is believed, however, that beginning in the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) they were used as either game (打马格钱) or gambling (打马博戏) pieces. Most pieces commemorate a famous horse from ancient Chinese history. Some of [...]
Horse coins
Horse coins (ma qian 马钱) originated in China during the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960 – 1279). They were not used as money, however, but as game pieces. There are a great variety of horse coins. Some display only a horse while others show both a horse and rider. Some horse coins have inscriptions which identify [...]
Most ancient Chinese horse coins display only a horse with no rider. Horse coins displaying a horse with a rider are much scarcer and those originating from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) are particularly rare. The specimen at the left is a later version of one of these Song Dynasty horse coins with a rider. [...]