User:Donald Trung/Ban Liang (2020 expansion)
This page serves as "the editing history" of the English Wikipedia article "Ban Liang" and is preserved for attribution and to preserve its editing history.
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/942476105
Published. --Donald Trung (talk) 22:23, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .
Original draft
[edit][[File:Mold for making banliang coins.jpg|thumb|Bronze mold for [[Mint (facility)|minting]] ''Ban Liang'' [[Ancient Chinese coinage|coins]], [[Warring States]] period (475-221 BC), State of Qin, from an excavation in [[Qishan County]], [[Baoji]], [[Shaanxi province]]]] The '''Ban Liang''' ([[Traditional Chinese]]: {{linktext|半|兩}} ; [[Pinyin]]: ''bàn liǎng'') was the first unified [[History of Chinese currency|currency]] of the [[Imperial era of Chinese history|Chinese empire]], introduced by the first emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] around 210 BC<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/china-ancient-tomb-first-emperor-qin-shi-huangs-grandmother-discovered-xi-1465022|title= China: Ancient Tomb of First Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Grandmother Discovered in Xi'an.|date=11 September 2014|accessdate=16 June 2017|work= Mary-Ann Russon ([[International Business Times]] – United Kingdom) |language=en}}</ref> (although it already circulated in the [[State of Qin]] prior to unification). It was round with a square hole in the middle. Before that date, a variety of coins were used in China, usually in the form of blades ([[knife money]]) or other implements, though round coins with square holes were used by the [[State of Zhou]] before it was extinguished by Qin in 249 BCE.<ref>Travel China Guide [https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/currency1.htm Qin & Han Money - Ban Liang Qian & Wu Zhu Qian.] Retrieved: 14 June 2017.</ref> The Ban Liang corresponds to a "half [[tael]]" (半兩), or twelve zhu ({{linktext|銖}}, about 0.68 grams). It typically weighs between ten and six grams, roughly corresponding to the Greek [[stater]]. The standardization of currency with this round coinage was part of a broader plan to unify weights, measures or axle width during the Qin empire.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html#qin_dynasty|title= Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 |date=16 November 2016|accessdate=14 June 2017|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref>[[Maine University]] [http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/Xian/Shaanxi_History/pages/124_History_Museum.html Warring States Period 战国 Ban Liang Coins 半两钱 货币。] March 2010. Retrieved: 14 June 2017.</ref> Ban Liang coins continued to be used under the [[Western Han dynasty]] until they were finally replaced by the [[Wu Zhu]] cash coins in 118 BC. == History == {{See also|Zhou dynasty coinage|Ancient Chinese coinage}} [[File:S-88 or 82, W Han banliang, Empress Gao, 187-180, 34mm.jpg|thumb|right|A Ban Liang cash coin cast under the reign of [[Empress Dowager Bo|Empress Gao]] during the Western Han dynasty.]] === State of Qin === The Ban Liang coins predate the Chinese Empire and were originally cast during the [[Warring states period]] by the [[State of Qin]]; these coins circulated alongside cloth money.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.info barrel.com/Ban_Liang_Ancient_Chinese_Coin_of_Qin_Dynasty|title= Ban Liang, Ancient Chinese Coin of Qin Dynasty|date= 6 June 2015|accessdate= 15 June 2017|work= Susan Wong (Info Barrel)|language= en|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170609214743/http://www06633.info/|archive-date= 2017-06-09|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>Wei, Song Jun. Chinese Qin cloth coins catalog ([[Mandarin Chinese|Chinese]] Edition) {{ISBN|7504472824}}</ref><ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2015/04/29/state-of-qin-silver-banliang-coin/|title= State of Qin Silver Banliang Coin|date=29 April 2015|accessdate=15 June 2017|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> Qin State coins were inscribed with the Chinese characters "Zhu zhong yi liang" (珠重一兩, "pearls (round coins) heavy one liang"), which might have been kind of lot numbers, while other early State of Qin weighed half a tael or one ''zi'' {中冖田} (甾, 錙), which was six ''zhu''. 1 tael coins tended to have a round centre hole, and half tael coins a square hole. The reverse side of all of these early round coins were blank.<ref name="ChinaKnowledgeHuanqian">{{cite web|url= http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Terms/huanqian.html|title= huanqian 圜錢, round coins of the Warring States and the Qin Periods.|date=24 June 2016|accessdate=19 February 2020|work= By Ulrich Theobald ([[Chinaknowledge]]).|language=en}}</ref> The Ban Liang cash coins of the Warring States period typically have a diameter between 32 and 34 millimeters and weight of 8 grams.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> The Ban Liang cash coins produced by the State of Qin have rectangular centre holes, as opposed to later cash coins which have square holes and many earlier [[Huanqian]] which had round holes.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Ban Liang cash coins during this era were cast in two-piece moulds ({{zh|t= 錢范 |s= 钱范 | hp= qián fàn | l= | links=yes}}) and these moulds could produce 6 cash coins at a time.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> This casting method left only one sprue on the coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> State of Qin era Ban Liang cash coins generally have inscriptions that are written in [[small seal script]], with a small number in [[large seal script]].<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> The characters on the State of Qin Ban Liang cash coins are vertically elongated and the top horizontal stroke of the "Liang" (兩) character is short.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> A seal script evolved further over the centuries, the top horizontal line became longer as is seen in Ban Liang cash coins produced during the Han dynasty.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> === Qin dynasty === Emperor Qin Shi Huang conquered the various "warring states" and unified China in the year 221 BC forming the [[Qin dynasty]].<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/charmcoins.html#qin_ban_liang|title= Emergence of Chinese Charms - Symbols Begin to Appear on Chinese Coins.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=19 February 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> In order to consolidate central power of the new Qin dynasty, Qin Shi Huang proceeded to standardise the various scripts, weights, and measures that existed among the various states.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> In order to centralise and standardise the Chinese monetary system, Qin Shi Huang had abolished the existing forms of money.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> He then stipulated that the new monetary system of the Qin dynasty would consist of a two tier system with a "higher" form of currency (上幣) made of [[gold]] and a "lower" form of currency (下幣) made of bronze, which was the Ban Liang.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> The Qin dynasty's Ban Liang cash coin was introduced as a way to standardise [[Ancient Chinese coinage|all forms of currency]] and its name reflected this as it would always weigh half a tael; these coins were mostly made from [[bronze]], though a silver Ban Liang variant is known to exist.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/><ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> According to the standard "weights and measures" (度量衡) of Qin, one tael was 24 ''zhu'' (equivalent to about 14.4 grams).<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> A "Ban Liang" cash coin, which means "half liang" or "half tael", would therefore be about 7.2 grams in weight.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> The Ban Liang cash coins further introduced the tradition of [[String of cash coins (currency unit)|stringing coins together with a rope for convenience]]; this was because of its round shape with a square hole, something future Chinese coins would continue to do until the early days of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] in the 1910s AD.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/> The inscription written on Qin dynasty era Ban Liang cash coins are all written in [[seal script]] with long and narrow characters that were written in a [[primal freehand style]].<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Early Ban Liang cash coins tended to not be well finished, furthermore these coins tended to not be quite round as their rims were often not filed smooth.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> === Han dynasty === During the [[Han dynasty]] Ban Liang coins continued to be produced, but the [[gold]]en currency established under the Qin would switch from being measured in taels to being measured in "Jin" ({{linktext|斤}}), which made a single Jin-denominated gold coin worth around 10.000 Ban Liang coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/> As the general populace found inconvenience in using the heavy Ban Liang coins the Han government allowed for the private production of smaller Ban Liang coins known as "elm seed" ({{linktext|榆|莢}}) Ban Liang coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/> The design of the Ban Liang coins would also change as Han dynasty Ban Liangs would later add rims while all Qin dynasty versions were rimless.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://kongming.net/novel/coins/west_han_banliang/|title= Ancient Chinese Coins: Western Han Ban Liang|date=2017|access-date=15 June 2017|work= James Peirce & Adrian Loder (Kongming)|language=en}}</ref> In the year 186 BC, or the 5th year of [[Empress Lü (Houshao)|Empress Lü]], the government officially set the weight of the Ban Liang at 8 ''zhu'' and the inscription was now written in [[clerical script]].<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> In the year 182 BC, or the sixth year of Empress Lü, the government of the Han dynasty began cast Ban Liang cash coins with a weight of of 2.4 ''zhu''.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> These cash coins had a diameter that was only about 20 millimeters, and they were distinguished by a large square centre hole.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Because in reality they were only worth one-fifth of an earlier Ban Liang coin, they are usually referred to as "5 parts Ban Liang cash coins" (五分半兩錢).<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> In the year 175 BC, or the fifth year of [[Emperor Wen of Han|Emperor Wen]], the government of the Han dynasty set the weight of the Ban Liang cash coins at 4 ''zhu''.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> These cash coins typically have a diameter between 23 and 25 millimeters and they tend to have a weight of 3 grams or less.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Some 4 ''zhu'' Ban Liang casb coins have an outer rim, while a far fewer number of this type of Ban Liang have both an outside rim as well as an inside rim located around the square centre hole.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Eventually the private production of coinage led to a major disruption in the economy forcing the government to produce larger Ban Liang; eventually the Han government continue to change the size and weight of the Ban Liang weighing as light as 2.4 Zhu to 4 Zhu.<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/> In 119 BC [[Emperor Wu of Han|Emperor Wu]] ordered the Ban Liang coins to be deprecated in favour of "[[San Zhu]]" cash coins ({{linktext|三|銖}}), which in turn were superseded by the "[[Wu Zhu]]" ({{linktext|五|銖}}) series of coins in 118 BC.<ref>Heinz Gratzer & A. M. Fishman. - ''One Thousand Years of Wu Zhu Coinage 118 BC - AD 958'' (Ancient Cast Chinese Coins Series - Lidai Guqian) {{ISBN|1539677141}}</ref> Despite being superseded by cash coinages with other inscriptions, the Ban Liang would continue to circulate in the Han dynasty.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> == Variants == During their period of production many types of Ban Liang coins were cast, ranging largely in weight and size, some had extra holes,<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2011/05/15/drilled-hole-ban-liang-coins/|title= "Drilled Hole" Ban Liang Coins |date=15 May 2011|accessdate=14 June 2017|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref> while other were written in different fonts such as the Han dynasty coins cast under [[Empress Lü (Houshao)|Empress Lü]] written in [[Regular script]], or a rare Ban Liang made from [[silver]] in the Qin dynasty,<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> and a [[lead]] variant in the Han dynasty. A variant with a reverse inscription known as “Liang Ban” (兩半) coins were also cast, cash coins with reverse inscriptions are known as ''chuan xing'' (傳形).<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> During the [[Warring states period]] Ban Liang coins from the [[State of Qin]] generally had 8 gram Ban Liang coins from between 32 and 34 millimeters in diameter, while during the Qin dynasty all Ban Liang coins generally had a weight of 6 grams and were about 31.7 millimeters in diameters. Han dynasty era Ban Liang coins are generally smaller than Qin Ban Liang coins,<ref>Numis' Numismatic Encyclopedia. [https://en.numista.com/numisdoc/a-reference-list-of-5000-years-of-chinese-coinage-97.html A reference list of 5000 years of Chinese coinage. (Numista)] Written on December 9, 2012 • Last edit: June 13, 2013 Retrieved: 16 June 2017</ref> this is due to the Han dynasty government constantly changing weight standards for the coins many variants from that era exist. === Western Han dynasty variants === [[Western Han dynasty]] variants include:<ref name="PrimaltrekChineseCashCoins"/> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Type !! Weight (in grams) !! Diameter (in millimeters) !! Metal !! [[List of emperors of the Han dynasty|Emperor]] !! Image |- | 8 Zhu Ban Liang (八銖半兩) || 4.8-5.3 || 26-30 || Bronze || [[Empress Lü (Houshao)|Empress Lü]] || |- | 5 Part Ban Liang (五分半兩) || 1.5 || 20 || Bronze || Empress Lü || |- | Snake eye Ban Liang (蛇目半兩) || 2.7 || 23.4 || Bronze || Empress Lü || |- | 4 Zhu Ban Liang (四銖半兩) || ≤3 || 23-25 || Bronze || [[Emperor Wen of Han|Emperor Wen]] || |- | 4 Zhu Ban Liang (四銖半兩) || 3.5 || 23.5 || Lead || Emperor Wen || |} === Silver Ban Liang cash coins === During the 1950s, a number of Ban Liang cash coins were unearthed at a site somewhere near the city of [[Xi'an]], [[Shaanxi]].<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Among the excavated cash coins was one notable [[silver]] specimen, this cash coin notably has a diameter of 66 millimeters, a thickness of 7 millimeters, and a weight of 96.15 grams, compared to most State of Qin Ban Liang cash coins made from [[bronze]] which typically have a diameter between 32 and 34 millimeters and weigh only 8 grams.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> This silver Ban Liang cash coin was acquired by [[Ma Dingxiang]] ({{zh|t= 馬定祥 |s= 马定祥| hp= mǎ dìng xiáng | l= | links=yes}}), a person notable for being one of the most famous 20th century Chinese coin collectors. Ma Dingxiang had acquired this specimen from a friend and fellow numismatist in the city of Xi'an.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> This is the only known specimen of this type of coin and it was sold at auction in the year 2011 for the equivalent of [[United States dollar|$]]334,103 (or 2,070,000 [[Renminbi|yuan]]).<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Among those who had the chance to admire this silver Ban Liang cash coin during the life of Ma Dingxiang were some other famous and notable Chinese numismatists of the time, including [[Luo Bozhao]] ({{zh|t= 羅伯昭 |s= 罗伯昭| hp= luó bó zhāo | l= | links=no}}), [[Sun Ding]] ({{zh|t= 孫鼎 |s= 孙鼎| hp= sūn dǐng | l= | links=no}}), and [[Li Weixian]] ({{zh|t= 李偉先 |s= 李伟先| hp= lǐ wěi xiān | l= | links=no}}).<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> [[Guan Hanheng]] ({{zh|t= 關漢亨 |s= 关汉亨| hp= guān hàn hēng| l= | links=no}}) wrote in his book ''Ban Liang Huobi Tu Shuo'' ({{zh|t= 半兩貨幣圖說 |s= 半两货币图说| hp= bàn liǎng huò bì tú shuō | l= | links=no}}), after carefully examining the known photographs and rubbings of this unique silver Ban Liang cash coin, that this specimen has clearly been buried for around two millennia due to the [[oxidation]] and present on the cash coin as well as some minor cracks on its reverse which he claims cannot have been artificially added.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Furthermore, Guan Henheng adds that despite the production of the Ban Liang cash coins having persisted into the early Han dynasty, he notes that because of the way that it has been cast that it must have been created during the Warring States period because the specimen only has a single sprue and would have been cast using a two-piece mould.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> The sprue of this specimen is 17 millimeters and is located at the bottom of the coin, meaning that it must have been one of the two cash coins located at the top of the casting mould.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Another reason why this silver Ban Liang is likely to have been cast by the State of Qin is because both its shape and its appearance are consistent with the Ban Liang cash coins from the time period, for example its centre hole is shaped like a rectangle as opposed to square as was the rule during the Han period, and the top and bottom horizontal lines of this specimen have bent corners also typical for Qin Ban Liang.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> ==== Possible functions of the silver variant ==== * It may be possible that this silver Ban Liang cash coin was cast to serve as an official weight to be used with a scale to confirm that indeed 14 regular Ban Liang cash coins would meet the required weight of about 100 grams (100/14 = 7.14).<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> While today this silver coin has a weight of 96.15 grams, it might have been closer to 100 grams in weight when it was cast, but the coin may have lost some of its weight due to wear and oxidation.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> This proposed original weight would have been the equivalent of 14 government minted cash coins of standard weight.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> It is entirely possible that an official coin weight like this could very well have been cast in silver in order to signify its importance.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> * Guan Hanheng proposes that this silver coin may have been a [[Commemorative coin|commemorative issue]].<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Guan claims that there were two important events that took place during the early Qin era that could have resulted in the issuance of a commemorative coin.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> The first event proposed by Guan Hanheng occurred in the year 336 BC which was the second year of the reign of [[King Huiwen of Qin]] and the first year that Ban Liang cash coins were ever issued.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> And the second event proposed by Guan Hanheng that could have inspired the issuance of commemorative coinage was the unification of China under Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] in the year 221 BC establishing the [[Qin dynasty]].<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> However, no known historical records have ever mentioned that Emperor Qin Shi Huang had ordered the casting of any type of special commemorative Ban Liang cash coin to mark this occasion.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> Because of the unlikeliness that it was cast to commemorate the establishment of the Qin dynasty and the fact that Ma Dingxiang during all the years that he had owned this silver Ban Liang cash coin had never personally suggested or proposed that it may have been made cast as a commemorative issue, Guan Hanheng assumes that it is more likely to have been issued in 336 BC.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> It is furthermore worthy to note that throughout [[History of China|Chinese history]], when a new imperial reign had started or a new dynasty was founded, or a new government mint was established, a special cash commemorative coin (開爐錢) would frequently be produced to mark the occasion.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> These commemorative cash coin tended to be bigger in size than normal issue cash coins and they were often very well-crafted, and tended to made of very good metal alloys.<ref name="PrimaltrekSilverBanLiang"/> === "Drilled holes" Ban Liang cash coins === Some Ban Liang cash coins have been discovered that have drilled holes, some of these cash coins have only one additional holes drilled into them while others have two.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> These cash coins were first documented in the Volume One 2010 edition of "China Numismatics" ({{zh|t= 中國錢幣|s= 中国钱币| hp= zhōng guó qián bì| l= | links=yes}}), which has an article entitled "Zhangjiachuan Prefecture Excavates 'Drilled Hole' Ban Liang".<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> In this article the author explains that in the summer of the year 2006 he had purchased about two-hundred recently discovered and unearthed Ban Liang cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> These cash coins were excavated in the [[Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County]] of the [[Gansu]] Province in located in [[northwest China]].<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> These Ban Liang cash coins were quite notable because they have never been documented in any prior Chinese numismatic literature.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> According to the author of the article, these "drilled hole" Ban Liang cash coins were produced by the State of Qin somewhere around the middle to the end of the Warring States period.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> These "drilled holes" are mostly found outside of the areas where the Chinese characters are located and the authors of the 2010 article assumes that they have been drilled into them after they have already been cast, meaning that these holes were not the result of a poor manufacturing process.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> According to the author of the 2010 article these Ban Liang cash coins were not meant to be used as an ornament or as a pendant because the inconvenient off-centre placement of these additionally drilled holes would not allow the cash coin to be hung correctly.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> According to [[Gary Ashkenazy]] of the website ''Primaltrek'', it is likely that these Ban Liang cash coins could have been used as burial objects, since coins were associated with wealth in traditional Chinese culture.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> Furthermore, Gary Ashkenazy hypothesises that these drilled holes might have been a precursor to the "stars" (星, dots), "moons" (月, crescents), and "suns" (日, circles) found on some Ban Liang cash coins during the Western Han dynasty, which were a primitive form of [[Chinese numismatic charm]]s, as these symbols gradually developed to become more and more complex until they would finally developed into true Chinese numismatic charms and amulets during the Han dynasty period.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> The "drilled hole" Ban Liang cash coins range in diameter from 23 to 33 millimeters and in weight from 1 gram to 8 grams.<ref name="PrimaltrekDrilledHoleBanLiang"/> === Privately cast Ban Liang cash coins === During the early Han dynasty period (200–180 BC), the emperor had ordered the rich and powerful to privately cast Ban Liang cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> These privately produced cash coins tended to be diminutive in size and light in weight, they are referred to as "Elm Seed Ban Liang cash coins" (榆荚半兩錢).<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Some of these "Elm Seed" cash coins were as small as 10 millimeters in diamer and weighing only about 0.4 gram.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Some privately produced Ban Liang cash coins had the Chinese characters for "twenty" (二十) incused or engraved above the square centre hole.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Current speculation on this variant is that numbers like this did not in fact refer to the "value" (or denomination) of the cash coin, but that these numbers would rather refer to some still unknown "quantity" or "measure".<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> [[Deng Tong]] (鄧通) was a wealthy businessman who had a close personal relationship with [[Emperor Wen of Han|Emperor Wen]] of the Han dynasty.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> During a period of 3 years, Emperor Wen had allowed Deng Tong to privately produce Ban Liang cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> In order to differentiate his cash coins from those that were officially cast by the imperial government, Deng Tong added extra metal above and below the square centre hole of these Ban Liang cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> Since there was "more" metal (or value), these privately produced Ban Liang cash coins by Deng Tong were believed to bring more "happiness" (多福).<ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/> == Numismatics == Historically Ban Liang coins were very rare in the [[numismatic]] community, but as many of them were excavated and exported from China in the 1990s they have become extremely common today with their prices having been dramatically decreased as a result.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/roberts/coins/Kosennedanstuke/ksn2.html|title= The second page of Shinpan kaisei, Kosen nedantsuke, Narabi ni bantsuki (Improved New Edition: Price List of Old Coins, Together with Rarity Ranking), printed in the city of Nagoya in 1799. This book belongs to the collector Sam Leung. |date=24 October 2003|accessdate=14 June 2017|work= Luke Roberts at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Department of History - University of California at Santa Barbara]] |language=en}}</ref> == See also == {{Portal|Money}} * [[Zhou dynasty coinage]] * [[Cash (Chinese coin)]] * [[Chinese cash (currency unit)]] * [[Kaiyuan Tongbao]] == References == {{reflist}} == Sources == * Hartill, David (2005). ''Cast Chinese Coins''. [[Trafford]], [[United Kingdom]]. {{ISBN|1412054664}} == External links == * [http://www.asianart.com/exhibitions/shandong/7b.html Ban Liang coins] * [http://chinesecoins.lyq.dk/Banliang.html Ban Liang coinage section from Chinese Cast Coins homepage] {{Commonscat|Ban Liang coins}} {{Chinese cash coin}} {{Chinese currency and coinage}} [[:Category:Coins of ancient China]] [[:Category:Cash coins by inscription]] [[:Category:Qin dynasty]] [[:Category:Han dynasty]] [[:Category:Chinese numismatics]]
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[edit]- <ref name="HoreshQing">{{cite web|url= https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-981-10-0622-7_54-1|title= The Monetary System of China under the Qing Dynasty.|date=28 September 2018|accessdate=29 July 2019|author= [[Niv Horesh]]|publisher= [[Springer Nature|Springer Link]]|language=en}}</ref>
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- <ref name="PrimalQing">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html#qing_dynasty_coins|title= Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 - Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911)|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=30 June 2017|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="PrimalQing"/>
- <ref name="PrimaltrekKingOfQingDynastyCoins">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/01/08/the-king-of-qing-dynasty-coins/|title=The King of Qing Dynasty Coins.|date=8 January 2013|accessdate=8 January 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="PrimaltrekKingOfQingDynastyCoins"/>
- <ref name="CambridgeInflation">{{cite web|url= https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/hsienfeng-inflation/54A8F1ADDC871CC18F4DCFA828730DEB|title= The Hsien-Fêng Inflation (Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009).|date=October 1958|accessdate=28 July 2019|author= Jerome Ch'ên|publisher= [[SOAS University of London]]|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="CambridgeInflation"/>
- <ref name="Brill2015">[https://www.academia.edu/28400259/_Silver_Copper_Rice_and_Debt_Monetary_Policy_and_Office_Selling_in_China_during_the_Taiping_Rebellion_in_Money_in_Asia_1200_1900_Small_Currencies_in_Social_and_Political_Contexts_ed._by_Jane_Kate_Leonard_and_Ulrich_Theobald_Leiden_Brill_2015_343-395 “Silver, Copper, Rice, and Debt: Monetary Policy and Office Selling in China during the Taiping Rebellion,” in Money in Asia (1200–1900): Small Currencies in Social and Political Contexts, ed.] by Jane Kate Leonard and Ulrich Theobald, [[Leiden]]: Brill, 2015, 343-395.</ref>
- <ref name="Brill2015"/>
- <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsDebinMa">{{cite web|url= http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/41940/1/WP159.pdf|title= Money and Monetary System in China in the 19th-20th Century: An Overview. (Working Papers No. 159/12)|date=January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2020|author= Debin Ma|publisher= Department of Economic History, [[London School of Economics]]|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsDebinMa"/>
- <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsXunYan">{{cite web|url= http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3307/1/Yan_In_Search_of_Power.pdf|title= In Search of Power and Credibility - Essays on Chinese Monetary History (1851-1845).|date=March 2015|accessdate=8 February 2020|author= Xun Yan|publisher= Department of Economic History, [[London School of Economics|London School of Economics and Political Science]]||language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="LondonSchoolOfEconomicsXunYan"/>
More sources
[edit]- <ref name="ChinaKnowledgeHuanqian">{{cite web|url= http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Terms/huanqian.html|title= huanqian 圜錢, round coins of the Warring States and the Qin Periods.|date=24 June 2016|accessdate=19 February 2020|work= By Ulrich Theobald ([[Chinaknowledge]]).|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="ChinaKnowledgeHuanqian"/>
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 22:21, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .
- <ref name="ChinaKnowledgeHuanqian"/>
- <ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/charmcoins.html#qin_ban_liang|title= Emergence of Chinese Charms - Symbols Begin to Appear on Chinese Coins.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=19 February 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
- <ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/>
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 22:21, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .
- <ref name="PrimaltrekEmergenceOfChineseCharms"/>
Spin-off projects
[edit]- User:Donald Trung/Silver spade money.
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 14:08, 21 February 2020 (UTC) .
- User:Donald Trung/Knife money (2020 expansion).
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 18:49, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .
- User:Donald Trung/China’s Biggest Cash Coin.
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 23:33, 21 February 2020 (UTC) .
- User:Donald Trung/Confucian coin charms.
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 13:43, 23 February 2020 (UTC) .
- User:Donald Trung/Temple coins section.
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 12:02, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .
- User:Donald Trung/Zhou Dynasty coinage (2020 expansion).
Done. --Donald Trung (talk) 20:22, 24 February 2020 (UTC) .