In history, the Fugou Silver Plate, Zhongshan Silver Shell, "Platinum Third Grade" and Xinmang "Silver Goods Second Grade" are not silver currencies in the true sense. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, China's earliest silver currency appeared, and its representative object was the silver cake unearthed in Changde. Changde silver cakes have a relatively uniform shape, standardized weight, high and stable silver color, deliberate anti-counterfeiting design, and have the characteristics of early precious metal currencies. At this time, silver currency still had obvious regional and stage characteristics, and the monetary functions it performed were incomplete and insufficient. Its role often oscillated between treasure of wealth and currency. The Tang Dynasty was a period of great development of early silver currency in China. Various forms of silver currency appeared, and the function of silver currency was further strengthened.
Silver currency is an important part of traditional Chinese currency. In history, it was often cast into various shapes of cakes and ingots (collars), and was often valued and circulated with the weight unit "Liang" as the monetary unit, so it is also called " Silver currency". The two currencies of silver and copper coins ran in parallel and constituted the main currency form in the late feudal society of China.
Currencies made of various materials in ancient China have their own unique origins and evolutions. Academic circles generally believe that China's earliest bronze coins originated from the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period to the early Warring States Period, represented by early Kongshou cloth; China's earliest bronze coins Gold currency roughly originated in the late Warring States Period, represented by the "Yingcheng" gold plate of Chu State. However, there is currently no consensus among academic circles on the origin of silver currency in ancient China. Some believe that silver currency appeared during the Warring States Period, some believe that silver currency appeared in the Western Han Dynasty, and some believe that the Tang Dynasty was the origin of silver currency. , there are also views that silver was used as currency only in the Song and Jin Dynasties, and there are even views that silver was only used as currency after the implementation of the "One Whip Law" in the Ming Dynasty, and so on. It can be seen that the origin of silver currency is a difficult and key point in the research of ancient Chinese currency history and numismatics.
一 Correcting the Old Theory of Early Silver Currency
Comparing various views on the origin of China's silver currency, it is found that there are two completely opposite erroneous tendencies in pushing forward too much and conservatively pushing back. The mistake of pushing too far forward the origin of silver currency is to confuse the wealth attributes and monetary attributes of silver; the tendency to conservatively push back the origin of silver currency is often to confuse the stage and essence of silver monetization and fiscal silverization. Among them, the erroneous tendency to push forward the origin of China's silver currency too early has a greater impact and needs to be corrected and clarified urgently.
In the past, some scholars identified the 18 silver plates unearthed in Fugou, Henan, the silver shells unearthed from the tombs of Zhongshan Kingdom, and the "three-grade platinum products" from the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty as China's early silver currency. Today, it seems that these are all wrong conclusions.
[Picture 1] The Fugou silver plate, about 10 centimeters high, was unearthed in Fugou County, Henan Province.
The Fugou silver plate [Picture 1] in the collection of Henan Museum was unearthed together with gold currency, but it cannot be regarded as currency. Three types of gold currency were unearthed from the tomb of Haihunhou: gold cake, horseshoe gold, and Linzhi gold. 20 gold plates were also unearthed. This kind of gold plate was the first to be unearthed from a tomb in the Qin and Han Dynasties. It retains the form of the most primitive metal ingot. , is not the form of gold currency of Qin and Han Dynasties, but should be buried as gold wealth and gold currency. In addition, we cannot think that the appearance of the silver plate is somewhat similar to the pre-Qin bronze shovel-shaped coins, and just call it "silver shovel coin" rashly! In fact, even this similarity in appearance is conjecture. The Fugou silver plate is a rectangular plate-shaped silver ingot. The casting handle on one side is not the empty head of the shovel coin, but the residue of the silver liquid poured into the sprue cup. It is just that there is no trace after casting. Just trimmed and cut off. Among the 18 silver plates unearthed in Fugou, only one has a "hollow" head, and the other 17 have a solid head or insufficient silver liquid to form a head, indicating that the head of the silver plate is not used to cast the so-called "empty head cloth" at all. The empty space. The one with a concave head that looks like an empty head was actually formed accidentally by the cooling and shrinkage of the silver casting, rather than a specially made empty head with a clay core. Therefore, the Fugou silver plate is actually a rectangular silver plate without the sprue handle cut off. Its attribute is silver wealth, not currency.
[Picture 2] Zhongshan Silver Shell, about 3.4 cm long, was unearthed in Pingshan County, Hebei Province. Collection of the China Numismatic Museum
Zhongshan Silver Shell [Picture 2] was unearthed from the coffin room of Wangcuo Tomb in Zhongshan.The archaeological excavation report clearly points out the nature of the decorations: “Most of the existing relics in the coffin chamber are small ornaments on the tomb owner and on the coffin, including gold daggers, gold ornaments, silver belt hooks, silver shells, and various bubble ornaments. ... Lead is worth a lot of money. Let’s look at what Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did when the first "auspicious" incident occurred: "Afterwards, there was a white deer in the Tianzi Garden, and its skin was used as a coin to express auspiciousness and make white gold. Next year, in the suburbs of Yong, he obtained a horned beast. , Ruo Heran. A minister said: "Your Majesty solemnly performs sacrifices in the suburbs, and God rewards you with a tin horned beast, covered with Lin Yun." So he recommended five grains, and added an ox to the grain to burn. He gave white gold to the princes, and used the wind talisman to match the sky and the earth. "Platinum" is what "Historical Records Pingzhunshu" points out: "Silver and tin are made into platinum. It is believed that the heaven is better than a dragon, the earth is better than a horse, and humans are better than a turtle, so there are three grades of platinum: one is weighing eight taels. The round one, its Wenlong, named "Baixuan", has a straightness of three thousand; the second one, the weight difference is small, is Fangzhi, and its Wenma, has a straightness of five hundred; the third one, Fu Xiao, has a straightness of three hundred, and its Wengui has a straightness of three hundred ." Research on the unearthed objects found that the "three-grade platinum" is basically lead, a low-value inferior metal, and its value is forced to be equal to 3,000 copper coins, 500 copper coins, and 300 copper coins, which is completely fictitious currency. It can be seen that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used the first "auspicious" to issue the false currency "Platinum Three Grades" with the purpose of plundering the wealth of princes and wealthy merchants.
Based on the above analysis of the unearthed objects, Fugou Silver Plate and "Platinum Three Grades" are not silver currencies, and ancient classics also confirm this. Sima Qian pointed out in "Historical Records Pingzhunshu": "As of the Qin Dynasty, the coins of a country in China were second-class, and gold, with its overflowing reputation, was the top coin; copper coins were worth half a tael, and were as heavy as their inscriptions, and were the bottom coin. And pearls, jade, Turtle shells, silver and tin are treasures for ornaments, not coins. However, their importance changes with time." That is to say, in the Qin Dynasty and the early Western Han Dynasty, the only currencies were gold and copper coins, and silver was wealth, not currency. Sima Qian was a native of the Han Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He was not far from the Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. His records of the form and nature of currency in the Qin Dynasty and the early Western Han Dynasty are believed to be reliable. The Qin Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty of the Warring States Period were of the same origin and had similar systems. They should not use silver as currency. The currency situation of the other "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period" should be roughly the same.
II Early silver currency in the literature
According to historical documents, the earliest time when silver was clearly designated as currency was in the Xinmang period. In the second year after the founding of the People's Republic of China (AD 10), Wang Mang carried out his third currency reform, "and made gold, silver, turtles, shells, money, and cloth products, called 'treasure goods'... Gold weighs one pound "Zhu Ti's silver weighs eight taels, which is a first-class product, and its value is one thousand, five hundred and eighty. It has a silver value of one thousand, and it is a second-grade silver product." Wang Mang identified two silver currencies: "Zhu Ti Yin" and "Ta Yin", and stipulated the ratios of different silver and copper coins. Unfortunately, so far, no exact physical objects of "Zhu Ti Yin" and "Ta Yin" from the Xinmang period have been found. There have been cases of forgery or misidentification of "Zhu Tiyin" in later generations, and researchers from the National Museum of China have already conducted authenticity analysis.
Wang Mang's ancient reform often violates economic laws. The "five objects, six names, and twenty-eight products" in the third currency reform are representative. In addition to traditional gold and copper coins, turtles, shells, silver, etc. "Treasures of ornaments" were forcibly stipulated as currency, and divided into cumbersome levels of size and proportion, resulting in "the people were confused and their goods were useless." It can be seen that the method of using "ornament treasures" as currency that Wang Mang enforced was not accepted by the people and society, and was only a flash in the pan. This is also the reason why no exact physical examples of the "Fourth Grade Turtle Treasure", "Fifth Grade Shell Goods" and "Second Grade Silver Goods" have been found. Therefore, the "Second Grade Silver Goods" in Wang Mang's restructuring is the so-called "silver currency" enforced by the government. Its essence is still to forcibly label silver as social wealth as currency in the name of retrospection. It is not a social commodity economy. a natural consequence of development. In this sense, "Zhu Ti Yin" and "Ta Yin", which are the second grade of silver goods, are not real silver currencies.
Both classics and unearthed documents contain records of denominated prices in silver during the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. For example, "Book of Jin" records: "(Shi) Le was returned to Xiang State, and Liu Han rebelled against Le and went to Duan Pixi. There was a great famine in Xiang State, and the grain was Two liters of silver are worth two catties, and one pound of meat is worth one tael of silver." Wang Xianguo also disclosed that in 2004, a large number of bamboo slips from the Eastern Wu and Western Jin Dynasties of the Three Kingdoms were discovered in an ancient well in Dongmenkou, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. Price calculation: "'One pig with three straight silvers and three Zhus'' One sheep with three straight silvers and three Zhus'' One pig and one sheep on the right are called silver combined with one or two Zhu's by Wu.' Two pigs on the right and two sheep are called straight by Wu and combined with three liang of silver. One baht and two, right pig, three sheep, two straight, Wu said silver, three liang, two baht and two'." This changed the convention that most social prices at that time were denominated in copper coins. This is a manifestation of the use of white banks as a measure of value and other monetary functions in areas that are seriously short of money during times of social unrest and sluggish mining. During the Southern Dynasties, "at the beginning of the Liang Dynasty, only the capital and Sanwu, Jing, Ying, Jiang, Xiang, Liang, and Yi used money. The rest of the prefectures and counties traded grain and silk. The areas of Jiao and Guang all used gold and silver as goods. ". This is also a manifestation of the role of silver in the currency role in the early Liang Dynasty when Jiaozhou, Guangzhou and other areas in Lingnan were severely short of money. Unfortunately, so far, no actual silver coins from the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties periods have been unearthed or handed down.
三 Early silver currency in cultural relics
"Zhu Tiyin" was unsuccessful as the precious metal currency forced by Wang Mang, but it became synonymous with high-quality silver in later generations. "Hanshu Geography" records: "Zhu Ti, mountains produce silver", which is the earliest scientific record of silver production in Zhu Ti in ancient classics, which was in the Eastern Han Dynasty. At present, according to the excavation reports of tombs from the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, relatively standard silver cakes have been unearthed in two places: in 2001, 46 silver cakes were unearthed from an Eastern Han tomb in Hanshou County, Changde City, Hunan Province; in 2008, from a Three Kingdoms burial site in Fancheng District, Xiangfan City, Hubei Province A silver cake was unearthed from an early tomb. Recently, some scholars have paid attention to the silver cakes unearthed from these two tombs and conducted useful research.
[Picture 4] Changde silver cake with a diameter of about 5.5 cm. Unearthed in Changde City, Hunan Province. Collected by Changde Museum
[Picture 5] The diameter of the bottom of Changde silver cake is about 5.5 cm. Unearthed in Changde City, Hunan Province.
from the excavation report. Look, the 46 Changde silver cakes (Picture 4) have a relatively uniform shape: a round cake with a spherical bulge at the bottom (Picture 5), a flat face, and a round stick-shaped silver bridge placed horizontally in the middle of the plane, with silver bridges on both sides. There are silver lumps that are half-melted in the cake body, and the height is similar to the bridge deck. The silver cake unearthed in Xiangfan is also consistent in shape with the silver cake in Changde. In addition to the shape, the weight of these silver cakes is also basically standardized. According to published archaeological information, complete silver cakes are mainly one pound in the Han Dynasty, and there are also half a pound types. There are three Changde silver cakes with ink writing. The report reads "one baht less", "two baht less" [Picture 6] and "three baht less". The weights are 237 grams, 228 grams and 208 grams respectively. Although the word "baht" is The interpretation and meaning of the ink book are still open to debate, but at least it shows that these silver cakes have a standard weight. The inscription in the ink book indicates the difference in weight between the silver cake and the standard silver cake. If we calculate based on the 9-gram weight difference between the two silver cakes with "one baht less" and "two baht less", the weight of the standard silver cake at that time was 246 grams, which was one pound in the Han Dynasty. There is also a specimen M1:50, which is "irregular cake-shaped" and "nodular beam", weighing 112 grams. It is a smaller version of the silver cake. It should be half a catty type based on the weight. It can be seen that although the shape of these Changde silver cakes is relatively uniform, the degree of standardization is not high. There is a big difference from the "V"-shaped stamped gold cakes of the Western Han Dynasty, which mostly has a constant standard weight of 247 grams.
[Picture 6] The Changde silver cake with the ink calligraphy "two baht less" is about 5.5 cm in diameter. Unearthed in Changde City, Hunan Province. Collection of Changde Museum
[Picture 7] The round stick-shaped silver bridge of the Changde silver cake is about 5.5 cm in diameter. Unearthed in Changde City, Hunan Province Collected by Changde Museum
Unfortunately, neither of the two archaeological reports has records of the alloy composition detection of the silver cake. Folk collectors occasionally collect silver cakes of the same type. According to the alloy testing of the same type of folk collection silver cakes, it was found that they contain 99% silver and nearly 1% lead, which is consistent with the composition of pure silver ingots extracted by the ancient Chinese "ash blowing method" , can be regarded as a high-quality silver ingot made by the ancient gray blowing method."Zhu Ti Silver" is the title of the highest quality silver ingot in the Han Dynasty. This Changde silver cake is the closest thing to "Zhu Ti Silver" discovered so far. Based on the above information, it is speculated that this type of silver cake should mainly exist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the early Three Kingdoms period.
The round stick-shaped silver bridge on the flat surface of the silver cake (Figure 7) is the most eye-catching feature of this type of silver cake. After careful observation and analysis, it is inferred that the silver bridge should be formed during the casting process of silver ingots when the silver liquid has not yet solidified. Use a metal rod to pull out the semi-solidified silver liquid, and rotate it coaxially at the same time, so that the silver liquid becomes a twisted wire shape. When it is pulled out to a length close to the diameter of the silver cake, put it down and lay it flat on the surface of the silver cake. The top round head contacts and fuses with the silver cake. Formed on the surface of unsolidified silver cake. After the silver bridge is formed, grab the silver liquid under the middle part of the silver bridge and connect it with the silver bridge to form bridge pillars to stabilize the silver bridge; before the surface of the silver liquid solidifies, put down several small silver blocks on both sides of the silver bridge. The bottom is fused to the silver cake, and the top protrudes from the surface of the silver cake, thereby protecting the silver bridge and preventing damage to the silver bridge during stacking and transportation. Judging from the appearance of the silver cake, almost all silver bridges are in contact with and fused to the surface of the silver cake at three points at both ends and in the middle. The traces of deliberate creation are obvious.
Based on our experience in the "Research on the Casting Technology of Ancient Chinese Silver Ingots", we deduce that this special shape was a deliberate arrangement at that time, just like the wings of silver ingots in later generations, to highlight the high quality of the silver ingot and to have the function of anti-counterfeiting.
Does Changde Silver Cake bear the function of currency? Eight gold cakes were produced in Changde Silver Cake. According to analysis, whether the gold cakes unearthed from the Eastern Han Tomb in Changde are hollow or solid, they are gold wealth and have withdrawn from the role of currency. Among them, the casting technology of hollow gold cakes is completely different from the mainstream gold cakes of the Western Han Dynasty. It feels like something from two time and space. From this perspective, by the Eastern Han Dynasty, the casting technology of gold cakes of the Western Han Dynasty had been lost. The gold cakes of the Western Han Dynasty imitated this type of hollowed-out gold cakes with both physical objects and imagination.⋯⋯The hollowed-out gold cakes of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Changde should not be gold currency for circulation, but gold wealth with spiritual symbolic significance.⋯⋯The solid gold cakes unearthed in Changde , primitive in shape and rough in casting, this Eastern Han solid gold cake is even more primitive than the Warring States A-type solid gold cake. It appears more random and less uniform in appearance, more like a precious metal ingot used as a store of wealth." The 46 Changde silver cakes have a relatively uniform shape, standard weight, high and stable silver color, deliberate anti-counterfeiting design, and have the characteristics of early precious metal currencies. Therefore, it is speculated that in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, silver began to transform from precious metal treasures into precious metal currencies in some areas.
Literature records: In the fifth year of Jiaping (253), Cao Wei surrendered general Guo Xiu and assassinated Fei Yi. After Fei Yi died, the Wei Kingdom issued an edict: "… He posthumously granted (Guo) Xiu the title of Marquis of Changle Township, with a settlement of thousands of households. The posthumous title is Marquis Wei; the son ascends the title and pays homage to the Captain of Chariots; he is given thousands of cakes of silver and thousands of bolts of silk; he lives and dies with his favor, and will live forever in the next life." Most of the literature records at the same time are about rewards of gold and silver side by side. Jin is the unit. The above-mentioned literature on precious metal appreciation only talks about silver, and the cake is the unit to perform the monetary function of precious metals. However, the output of China's silver mines was limited at that time, and the amount of silver imported from the Silk Road trade was also limited. Take "Zhu Ti Silver" as an example. It was well-known in the late Western Han Dynasty and was close to exhaustion in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" Li Xian and others noted: "Zhuge Liang" The book says: 'Han Jia's gold and Zhu Ti's silver are not enough to feed oneself.'" It only flourished for two hundred years. The lack of sufficient silver supply affected the popularization and performance of silver currency. The silver currency at that time showed obvious regional and phased characteristics. The monetary functions it performed were incomplete and insufficient. It often played a role in wealth treasures and currency. The swing between them was the origin of China's early silver currency. Changde Silver Cake, a silver cultural relic with distinctive monetary attributes, can be regarded as the representative object of China's earliest silver currency.
Why did the precious metal gold withdraw from its monetary role in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, and silver began to perform its monetary function? In the historical context, the Eastern Han Dynasty was dominated by the self-sufficient and powerful landlord economy. The commodity economy was obviously lagging behind that of the Western Han Dynasty. Bulk commercial trade was also underdeveloped. The gold currency with high value and strong purchasing power was no longer suitable for the actual economic situation of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The value of Silver, which was lower than gold, gradually assumed the role of currency because it was more suitable for the business conditions of that period and became China's early silver currency. At that time, the price ratio of gold and silver was roughly 1:5, that is, one pound of gold could be exchanged for five pounds of silver. The value of silver was five times lower than that of gold. It was circulated at a price comparable to the physical currency of copper coins or grains, which was suitable for the economic conditions at that time. However, we must also objectively see that the main currencies at that time were still physical currencies such as copper coins or grains, and the silver currency function was not fully fulfilled.
IV The great development of early silver currency - Tang Dynasty silver currency
The mainstream currency in the Tang Dynasty was copper coins, but in some areas silk and silver were often used as exchange intermediaries. Especially in the Lingnan area, the monetary attribute of silver has become increasingly prominent and has affected the country's silver monetization process, gradually gaining an important position in payment.
[Picture 8] Tang Dynasty Yang Guozhong silver collar (cast state) 31.6 cm high and 7.4 cm wide collected by the China Numismatic Museum
[Picture 9] Tang Dynasty cake-shaped silver collar with a maximum diameter of about 10.8 cm unearthed in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province Shaanxi History Museum collection
Judging from the remaining physical silver ingots, the Tang Dynasty was an important historical stage when silver had indeed monetary properties. Silver collars of various shapes appeared, mainly including wat-shaped collars (Figure 8), long bar collars, and cake-shaped collars. [Picture 9], thin collar with flat head and waistband [Picture 10], long collar with flat head and waistband [Picture 11] and boat-shaped collar [Picture 12], etc.
[Picture 10] A Tang Dynasty flat-headed waistband with a thin collar, about 16.5 centimeters high. Unearthed in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Collection of the Shaanxi History Museum.
[Picture 11]. The Tang Dynasty flat-headed waistband with a long collar, the left one is about 19.1 centimeters high and about 19.1 centimeters wide. 8.4 cm, collected by the China Numismatic Museum
[Picture 12] Tang Dynasty ship-shaped silver collar 18.6 cm high and 10.6 cm wide, collected by the China Numismatic Museum
From the appearance, the wat-shaped, long strip and cake-shaped silver collars retain the characteristics of the silver billet. The original form, rectangular and cake-shaped are the easiest shapes to choose for casting silver collar blanks. The shapes of wat-shaped, long-shaped and cake-shaped silver collars are the natural inheritance of the shape of silver blanks. In this sense, they are well-deserved Early silver currency.
Based on the shape characteristics of silver collars in the Tang Dynasty and combined with the socio-economic activities of the Tang Dynasty, the author believes that the wat-shaped and pancake-shaped silver collars were commonly used by officials in the Tang Dynasty. The silver collars were often engraved with time, place, nature and purpose. , as well as the name and identity of the official, the name of the craftsman, etc., show that the main nature of this type of silver collar is to provide tribute and tax revenue, and it is a typical official collar. The undocumented types among the cake-shaped silver collars are mostly merchant collars, some of which are in primitive condition and whose nature is closer to that of silver wealth. Most of the thin collars on the flat-top girdle have been beaten flat and repaired. There are words such as "five taels", "shi liang" and "Dabei Dynasty" on them, which should be official collars. The flat-head girdle long collar and the boat-shaped silver collar have a natural origin and have the same properties, so they are both merchant collars.
Judging from archaeological excavations and public collections, there is no exact boat-shaped silver collar with official inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty. Occasionally, there are inscriptions cast on the bottom, often with minimal information such as the silversmith's surname, which confirms the "folk" status of boat-shaped silver collars. identity". It is recognized by academic circles that boat-shaped silver collars were produced in the late Tang Dynasty. Their main function was not the government's tribute silver and treasury silver, but the currency used by the people for large-amount payments. During the Tang Dynasty, there were frequent trade activities with the outside world. Both the land Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road were very prosperous. Material and cultural exchanges between the East and the West were frequent. Gold, silver, jewelry, spices, etc. from outside the region poured into China in large quantities, such as Western Persian-style gold. Silverware was extremely popular in China during the Tang Dynasty. Silver became an important commodity and medium for Silk Road trade. The prosperity of Silk Road trade promoted the monetization process of silver in China to some extent. The boat-shaped silver collar appeared under this historical background. The special shape of the boat-shaped silver collar with high wings at both ends also has profound connotations, that is, in order to fully demonstrate the metallic characteristics of silver, it is a need for anti-counterfeiting and anti-counterfeiting.
The various forms of silver currency in the Tang Dynasty are the manifestation of the vigorous development of early silver currency in its monetary function. The evolution of the form of silver currency in later generations has the shadow of the silver currency of the Tang Dynasty. Especially since the Song and Jin Dynasties, the monetary function of silver has become increasingly prominent, and Chinese currency has gradually entered the stage of dual-track copper coins and silver. After the implementation of the "One Whip Law" in the Ming Dynasty, silver currency has increasingly developed and realized the silverization of fiscal and taxation.
In short, the origin of ancient Chinese silver currency was tortuous, and its evolution path was spiral. The old rumored Fugou Silver Plate, Zhongshan Silver Shell and "Platinum Three Grades" are not silver currencies. The earliest Chinese silver currency recorded in historical documents is the "Second Grade Silver Goods" of the Xinmang period, but its nature is a treasure of wealth that imposes the name of currency. It is not an inevitable result of economic development. It has the name of currency but no reality of currency. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Changde silver cakes were represented. Because of their relatively uniform shape, standardized weight, high and stable silver color, and deliberate anti-counterfeiting design, they have the characteristics of early precious metal currencies and can be regarded as the earliest silver currency in China. In addition, Changde silver cake is also the closest object to the historical "Zhu Ti Yin". At this time, silver currency still had obvious regional and stage characteristics, and the monetary functions it performed were incomplete and insufficient. Its role often oscillated between treasure of wealth and currency. During the Tang Dynasty, the monetary function of silver was further strengthened, and various forms of silver currency appeared. This was a period of great development of silver currency in early China.
(The author of this article is affiliated with the China Numismatic Museum. The original title is "A Survey on the Origin of Ancient Chinese Silver Currency". The full text was originally published in the "Journal of the Palace Museum" Issue 9, 2023.)
