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Chinese Coin Articles

Chinese coin
Chinese Coins
History and images of Chinese coins and other ancient forms of money


Chinese coin with lucky symbol
Emergence of Chinese Charms
The beginning of symbols appearing on Chinese coins


Chinese charm with coin inscription
Chinese Charms with Coin Inscriptions
Images and history of charms with Chinese coin inscriptions (legends)


Chinese coin with charm features
Ancient Chinese Coins with Charm Features
Images and history of Chinese coins with charm characteristics and features


Feng Shui coins
Feng Shui Coins
Chinese coins used in feng shui and how to select the best coins to provide good luck, good fortune and protect against evil


Chinese coin with flower hole
Chinese Coins with Flower (Rosette) Holes
Images, history, production technique, and meaning of old Chinese coins with flower (rosette), "turtle shell", "star" and diamond shape holes

Chinese cash coin used for fortune-telling
Chinese Cash Coins and Fortune-Telling
How old Chinese cash coins were traditionally used for fortune-telling


Chinese coin used in Chinese traditional medicineChinese Coins and Traditional Chinese Medicine
The use of old Chinese coins in traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese peace charm
Ancient Chinese Peace Coins and Charms
History and images of Chinese peace (Tai Ping) charms and coins

Chinese Emperor Kangxi poem coin
Chinese Poem Coins
Images and history of Chinese poem coins and charms of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty


Chinese money tree
Chinese Money Trees
Images, history and meaning of Chinese money trees and coin trees



Chinese token money
Chinese Tokens
Images and history of old Chinese tokens with charm and amulet features


Chinese spade money

Chinese Charms -- Spade Charms
Images and history of ancient Chinese shovel and spade money and the evolution into a charm form



Chinese bamboo tally token money





Bamboo Tallies
Images and history of the Chinese type of token money known as bamboo tallies








Chinese Coin Monographs


1910 Yunnan Spring Dollar
1910 Chinese Yunnan Spring Dollar
The 1910 Yunnan Spring Dollar is considered one of the rarest of Chinese coins.


China's Largest and Heaviest Ancient Coin
China's Biggest Ancient Coin
The largest and heaviest ancient Chinese coin was cast during the Ming Dynasty and was unearthed in Yunnan Province in 1997.

Reverse side of rare Qing Dynasty 100 cash pattern
            coin


The King of Qing Dynasty Coins
Very rare "100 cash" pattern coin known as "The King of Qing Dynasty Coins".


Vault Protector Coins

Vault Protector Coins
Large, thick, heavy and well-made coins with charm-like powers to provide protection at the treasury


Coin commemorating the 70th birthday of Empress Dowager
            Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi Commemorative Coin
A rare guang xu yuan bao "one tael" silver coin produced at the Guangdong Province mint to commemorate the 70th birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi.


State of Qin Silver
          Banliang Coin
State of Qin Silver Banliang Coin
Extremely rare and unique specimen of large and heavy silver banliang coin from State of Qin


Two rare coins discovered in
          Ningxia
Two Rare Coins Discovered in Ningxia
Rare Western Xia and Northern Song coins discovered in Ningxia


Chinese copper coin minted in Guangdong Province in
            1936 displaying five goats
Five Goat Coin
A rare Chinese copper coin struck at the mint in Guangdong Province in 1936 displaying five goats.


Chinese Burial Money

Chinese Burial Money
Various forms of buried money to be used by deceased in afterlife


Coin Dragon
Coin Dragon
Dragon made of cash coins discovered in the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City


Taiping Rebellion iron coin
Taiping Rebellion Coins Saved from Furnace
Rare iron coins from the Taiping Rebellion were secretly hidden so as not to be used as scrap iron for a steel furnace during the Great Leap Forward.

Chinese "10 Cash" coin overstruck on Korean
            "5 Fun" coin
Chinese "10 Cash" Coins Overstruck on Korean "5 Fun" Coins
Near the end of the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty, Japanese samurai and Korean businessmen conspired to counterfeit Chinese "10 Cash" copper coins using Korean "5 Fun" coins as blanks.

Chinese "World of Brightness" coin
Chinese "World of Brightness" Coin
Discussion of the mysterious "World of Brightness" coin which resembles the quang xu tong bao coin.


Bodhidharma holding a wu zhu
          coin

Bodhidharma Holding a Wu Zhu Coin
Daruma doll showing Bodhidharma holding a "tai he wu zhu" coin



Kingdom of Chu "Tian Ce Fu
          Bao" Gilt Bronze Coin
Kingdom of Chu "Tian Ce Fu Bao" Gilt Bronze Coin
Very rare gilt bronze coin from Kingdom of Chu of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period


Dragon and Phoenix Silver Dollar
Lu Xun and Chinese Coins
Lu Xun, one of China's greatest modern writers, also contributed to the design of the dragon and phoenix silver dollar.


Qi Xiang Tong Bao
          Engraved Mother Coin
Qi Xiang Tong Bao Engraved Mother Coin
Very rare Qi Xiang Tong Bao mother coin from Qing dynasty


Silver coin commemorating the founding of the Republic of
          China
Sun Yat-Sen "Memento" Coin
The meaning of the symbols on this silver dollar coin with a portrait of Sun Yat-Sen commemorating the founding of the Republic of China.


biscuit or cake
          coins of the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty Biscuit Coins
Biscuit or cake coins of the Song dynasty


Ban liang coin with drilled hole from State of Qin
"Drilled Hole" Ban Liang Coins
Unusual ban liang coins with drilled holes unearthed in Gansu Province.


Turtle coin of bai jin
          san pin of Han dynasty

Turtle-Shaped Coin of the Han Dynasty
Silver coin of the bai jin san pin




China's Largest Gold Coin
China's Largest Gold Coin
China's largest gold coin was also the largest gold coin in the world when it was produced in the year 2000.


'Kai Yuan Tong Bao' Clay
          Mould
'Kai Yuan Tong Bao' Clay Mould
Only known specimen of clay mould used to cast Kai Yuan Tong Bao coins of Tang Dynasty



Kai Yuan Tong Bao made
          of lead and having unusual characters
Unusual Variations of the 'Kai Yuan Tong Bao' Coin
Several interesting and unusual coins based on the Tang dynasty Kai Yuan Tong Bao coin


Coin displaying Zhong Kui as Peking Opera character
Zhong Kui -- "Peking Opera" Star and "Demon Slayer"
Zhong Kui, the popular "Peking Opera" star and the immortal "Demon Slayer" who has protected Chinese households for centuries, is portrayed on this modern silver coin.

State of Qi Six Character
          Knife Money



State of Qi Six Character Knife Money
Six character knife-shaped money from ancient State of Qi





Ancient Chinese Coin Exhibit at
          the Qi Heritage Museum
Ancient Chinese Coin Exhibit at the Qi Heritage Museum
The Qi Heritage Museum has the best collection in the world of Chinese money from the late Zhou and Warring States Period


Chinese knife money with Korean inscription


Korean Inscription on Ancient Chinese Knife-Shaped Money
A Korean scholar believes the unidentified inscription on this Chinese knife money is written in ancient Korean script








Preparing donkey burgers with price list in ancient
          Chinese coins hanging on wall
Buy Donkey Burgers with Ancient Chinese Coins
Buy "donkey burgers" and pay with ancient Chinese money at a restaurant in Beijing.



Tlingit body armor covered with old Chinese coins
Body Armor Made of Old Chinese Coins
Old Chinese coins used as body armor by the Tlingit people of North America.


Three Hole Spade (san kong bu)


Three Hole Spades
Very rare "three hole spade" coin sets world record as most expensive ancient Chinese coin.




Three hole spade minted at Yang Jian in State of Zhao


Rare 'Three Hole Spade' Sold at Auction
The only known specimen of a large (one liang) three hole spade minted at Yang Jian in the State of Zhao during the Warring States period has been sold.




Ming Dynasty yongle tongbao coin discovered in East
          Africa
Admiral Zheng He and the Yongle Tongbao Coin
China's maritime explorer Admiral Zheng He and the Ming Dynasty "yongle tongbao" coin recently discovered in Kenya.


Carrying Cash in
          Imperial China


Carrying Cash in Imperial China
Photo of a man carrying Chinese cash coins during the Qing dynasty






Stringing Cash Coins
Stringing Cash Coins
Rare photograph of men putting Chinese cash coins on strings during Qing dynasty


Cycling Across Imperial China

Cycling Across Imperial China
Two Americans ride bicycles across China during the Qing dynasty and face challenges carrying loads of Chinese cash coins



The People's Bank of China logo
Chinese Coins and Bank Logos
Chinese coins and the design of Chinese bank logos.


World's Largest Copper
          Coin Sculpture
World's Largest Copper Coin Sculpture
A Tang dynasty 'Kai Yuan Tong Bao' coin is the largest copper coin sculpture in the world


Children playing with ancient
          chinese coins found on their property
Young Numismatists in China
Young children playing with ancient Chinese coins found on their property


Only coin of the Shui Nationality known to exist
Coins and Charms of the Shui Nationality
Very rare coin of the Shui people dating from the Northern Song Dynasty.



Song Dynasty zhao na xin bao
          coin
Southern Song Coin for Jin Army Defectors
General Liu Guangshi of the Southern Song army minted zhao na xin bao coin to encourage defection from Jin army



Ying yun yuan bao
          coin in Shanghai Museum
Earliest Peasant Rebellion in China to Mint Coins
Ying yun yuan bao coin in Shanghai Museum


Chinese Coins and Archaeology


Villlager digging for coins
Ancient Coins Discovered in Golden Horse River
Villagers in Chengdu, Sichuan Province discover a large quantity of ancient Chinese coins in the "Golden Horse River".


Villagers dig for coins in
          Grand Canal
Villagers Dig for Coins in Grand Canal
Villagers dig for old coins in ancient Grand Canal in Shandong


Song Dynasty coins discovered at Rufu Stone Pagoda
Coins Discovered at Rufu Stone Pagoda
Song Dynasty coins discovered by archaeologists help date the Rufu Stone Pagoda in Hainan Province.



Chinese Villager Unearths �Old Coin�
          While Digging Ancestral Grave
Chinese Villager Unearths 'Old Coin' While Digging Ancestral Grave
Villager frightened when he saw the 'old coin' move



Chinese Song Dynasty iron coins discovered in Hebei
          Province
Tons of Song Dynasty Iron Coins Discovered
Several tons of Song Dynasty iron coins were recently discovered in a field near Cangzhou, Hebei Province.


Coin design on wall bricks of Kingdom of Min
Coin Design Discovered on Wall Bricks from Kingdom of Min
Design of Chinese cash coins found on bricks of an ancient city wall from the Tang Dynasty.



Bricks with Coin Design
          Discovered in Southern Dynasty TombBricks with Coin Design Discovered in Southern Dynasty Tomb
Many bricks used the construction of this Southern Dynasties tomb have the design of a Chinese cash coin



"Yong long tong bao" clay mould
Ancient Kingdom of Min Coins Cast in Quanzhou
Clay moulds used to cast the Kingdom of Min coins were discovered while digging for the Chinese traditional medicine "golden juice".


Song dynasty coin moulds
          found in Salt Lake in Shanxi
Song Dynasty Coin Moulds Found in Salt Lake
Coin moulds for Song dynasty coins found in Salt Lake in Shanxi

qian you yuan bao
          coin in seal script from Western Xia
Unique Western Xia Coin Written in Seal Script Unearthed in Ningxia
Rare Western Xia qian you yuan bao coin written in seal script unearthed


Archaeologist examines coins
200,000 Ancient Chinese Coins Found in Old Well
Approximately 200,000 Song Dynasty coins were discovered in an old well in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.


Eastern Han Dynasty grave
1,000 Coins Discovered in Han Dynasty Grave
More than 1,000 "Large Coin Fifty" (da quan wu shi) coins were excavated from a Han Dynasty grave.


12,000 Song dynasty iron
          coins unearthed in Shanxi
12,000 Song Dynasty Iron Coins Unearthed in Shanxi Province
More than 12,000 iron coins from Song dynasty recovered from ruins in Shanxi


Chinese coins recovered from sunken WWII Japanese
          freighter
Tons of Chinese Coins Found in Sunken World War II Japanese Ship
About 3.3 tons of foreign coins, mainly Chinese silver coins from the 1920's and 1930's, have been recovered from a Japanese freighter that was sunk by an American warplane off the west coast of Korea during World War II.


Song Dynasty coins unearthed at ancient tomb
How Chinese Archaeologists Clean Coins
How archaeologists cleaned badly corroded coins unearthed at a tomb in Fuzhou, Fujian Province.


Yuan Shikai "Silver Dollar"
Coffin Contains Coin Instead of Corpse
Archaeologists unearth a coffin containing a coin but no corpse.


More than 2,200 Rare "Later Jin Dynasty" Coins Discovered
Tomb robbers captured after unearthing rare coins from the Later Jin Dynasty (1616-1636 AD).

Thousand Tang and Song dynasty
          coins discovered at Cishi Pagoda


A Thousand Coins Discovered at Cishi Pagoda
A thousand Tang and Song dynasty coins discovered during restoration of Cishi Pagoda in Hunan






Smallest Chinese Coin in History Unearthed
Watch video from China Central Television of what may be the smallest Chinese coin ever discovered.

Largest ancient Chinese coin hoard ever discovered in
          Xinjiang
Largest Cache of Ancient Coins Unearthed in Xinjiang Province
More than 14,000 coins unearthed in Xinjiang Province


Spade and knife money unearthed from State of Yan
Knife and Spade Money from State of Yan Unearthed in Hebei
Large hoard of knife and spade money from the ancient State of Yan was unearthed by a farmer digging a well in Hebei Province.


Knife money from the ancient State of Yan unearthed in
          Hebei Province
600 'Ming Knives' from the State of Yan Unearthed in Hebei
Villager in Hebei Province accidentally discovers a buried clay pot containing 600 specimens of 'ming knife money' from the State of Yan.


Knife Money from State of Qi
          Unearthed in Shandong
Knife Money from State of Qi Unearthed in Shandong
Farmer digs up "four character" knife money from ancient State of Qi


Kushan Empire coins unearthed in Ningxia
Ancient Kushan Empire Coins Unearthed in Ningxia
Silk Road coins from the ancient Kushan Empire unearthed in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous region.


3 tons of Coins Excavated from Ruins of Han Dynasty Mint in Inner Mongolia
Three tons of coins and many clay moulds were recently excavated from the ruins of a Han Dynasty mint in Inner Mongolia.

�Kaiyuan Tongbao� coin
          made from hawksbill sea turtle shell discovered at Famen
          Temple
Coins Made of Turtle Shell Discovered at Famen Temple
"Kaiyuan Tongbao" coins made from sea turtle shell were discovered at Famen Temple where a sacred relic of the Buddha is kept.


Kaiyuan Tongbao coins totaling 27.5 kilograms
          discovered at Fuhaiyuan Temple
Kaiyuan Tongbao Coins Unearthed at Fuhaiyuan Temple
Buried cache of "kaiyuan tongbao" coins weighing 27.5 kg unearthed at 1,100-year-old Fuhaiyuan Temple.


Well-preserved small and large coins unearthed in
          Hunan Province
700-Year-Old Coin Pit Discovered in Hunan Province
Watch a video report on a Song and Yuan dynasty money pit recently discovered in Hunan Province.


Digging for Chinese coins despite danger in dry
          Jialing River
Digging for Coins Despite Lurking Danger
In the midst of unexploded ordnance from WW2, treasure hunters in Chongqing dig for old Chinese coins in dry Jialing River riverbed.


Large chunks of Song Dynasty iron coins on display
Mystery Surrounding 100 Tons of Song Dynasty Iron Coins
Three theories in regard to the mystery surrounding 100 tons of Song Dynasty iron coins discovered near Cangzhou in Hebei Province.


"Kai yuan tong bao" coin unearthed in
          ancient "Silk Road" city of Kucha in Xinjiang
          Province
3,000 Tang Dynasty 'Kai Yuan Tong Bao' Coins Unearthed in Xinjiang
Latest news reports state that nearly 10,000 "kai yuan tong bao" coins from the Tang Dynasty have been unearthed in the ancient Silk Road city of Kucha.


The exquisite interior paintings of the Ming Dynasty
          tomb discovered in Longshan Village
Song Dynasty Coins in a Ming Dynasty Tomb
A Ming Dynasty tomb with exquisite paintings but containing Song Dynasty coins instead of Ming Dynasty coins is discovered near Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province.


Henan Museum staff member
          digging for treasure in archaeological blind box
Archaeological Blind Boxes and Ancient Chinese Coins
Chinese museums offer archaeological blind boxes for people to dig for cultural artifacts just like an archaeologist


Tang Dynasty 'kai yuan tong bao' coin unearthed in
          Anhui Province
China TV Shows Ancient Coin Cache Being Dug Up in Anhui
Watch Chinese TV news broadcast showing archaeologists digging up more than 500 pounds of Song Dynasty coins in Anhui Province.


Tang and Song Dynasty
          Coins Dug Up in Yancheng
Tang and Song Dynasty Coins Dug Up in Yancheng
Villagers dig for coin "treasure" buried in river mud in Yancheng


Coins from Han, Tang, Song and Jin Dynasties Unearthed in Gansu
Archaeologists discover 114 kg of coins from the Han, Tang, Song and Jin dynasties buried at a site in Dingxi City, Gansu Province.

Byzantine Gold Coin
          Found in Tomb of Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei
Byzantine Gold Coin Found in Tomb of Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei
Byzantine gold coin (solidus) discovered in tomb of Emperor Jiemin of Northern Wei


Chinese coins cast by Wang
          Mang of the Xin dynasty found in Korean tomb
Xin Dynasty Coins Found in Korean Tomb
Coins cast by Wang Mang of the Xin dynasty found in Korean tomb




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