User:Donald Trung/Expansion of Kaiyuan Tongbao (2020)

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{{Infobox coin | Denomination = Kaiyuan Tongbao<br>(開元通寳) | Country = [[Tang dynasty]]<br>([[China]]){{efn|Kaiyuan Tongbao coins were also produced in [[Sogdia]].}} | Value = 1 ''[[Chinese cash (currency unit)|wén]]'' | Unit = | Mass_g = | Diameter_mm = | Diameter_inch = | Diameter_special = <!-- used for specialized formatting, or adding references to infobox--> | Thickness_mm = | Thickness_inch = | Thickness_special = <!-- used for specialized formatting, or adding references to infobox--> | Composition = [[Bronze]],{{efn|The majority of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins were made from bronze.}} [[lead]], [[Zinc|"white bronze"]], [[iron]],{{efn|Iron Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins were predominantly cast in [[Sichuan]] where there had been a shortage of copper. There is evidence that iron Kaiyuan Tongbao coins also circulated in [[Hebei]] under the Tang dynasty.}} [[silver]], or [[gold]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/Xian/Shaanxi_History/pages/239_History_Museum.html|title= Tang Dynasty 唐代 Gold Coin 金开元通宝.|date=March 2010|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Marilyn Shea ([[University of Maine at Farmington]])|language=en}}</ref> | Years of Minting = 621–907 | Mintage = <!-- used with single issue coins, or the total for the series if known --> | Circulation = | Catalog Number = <!-- or | Catalogue Number = --> | Obverse = KaiyuanTongbao.png | Obverse Design = Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寳) | Obverse Designer = [[Ouyang Xun]] (歐陽詢) | Obverse Design Date = | Obverse Discontinued = | Reverse = | Reverse Design = Usually blank, sometimes with nail marks, [[crescent]]s, dots, or clouds, while [[Kaiyuan Tongbao#Huichang era Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins|"Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao"]] cash coins tend to have [[mint mark]]s (see below). | Reverse Designer = | Reverse Design Date = | Reverse Discontinued = }} The '''Kaiyuan Tongbao''' ({{zh|first=t|t=開元通寶|s=开元通宝| hp=kāiyuán tōng bǎo| l=Circulating treasure from the inauguration of a new [[Chinese era name|epoch]]| links=yes}}), sometimes [[Romanization of Chinese|romanised]] as ''Kai Yuan Tong Bao'' or using the archaic [[Wade-Giles]] spelling ''K'ai Yuan T'ung Pao'',<ref>Sportstune.com [http://sportstune.com/chinese/coins/kaiyuan.html K'ai Yuan coins] by John Ferguson. Retrieved: 21 June 2018.</ref> was a [[Tang dynasty]] [[Cash (Chinese coin)|cash coin]] that was produced from 621 under the reign of [[Emperor Gaozu of Tang|Emperor Gaozu]] and remained in production for most of the Tang dynasty until 907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/roberts/coins/Chinese%20coins/Tangetc.html|title=Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the subsequent Ten States Five Kingdoms era (907-960 or so).|date=24 October 2003|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Luke Roberts at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Department of History - University of California at Santa Barbara]] |language=en}}</ref> The Kaiyuan Tongbao was notably the first cash coin to use the inscription ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) and an era title as opposed to have an inscription based on the weight of the coin as was the case with [[Ban Liang]], [[Wu Zhu]] and many other earlier types of Chinese cash coins.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} The Kaiyuan Tongbao's [[Chinese calligraphy|calligraphy]] and inscription inspired subsequent [[Central Asia]]n, [[Japanese mon (currency)|Japanese]], [[Korean mun|Korean]], [[Ryukyuan mon|Ryūkyūan]], and [[Vietnamese cash]] coins and became the standard until [[Bảo Đại Thông Bảo|the last cash coin]] to use the inscription "通寶" was cast until the early 1940s in [[French Indochina]]. After the fall of the Tang dynasty Kaiyuan Tongbao coins would continue to be produced by various states of the [[Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period]]. == Manufacture == === Wax mother coins === {{Main|Mother coin}} Under the [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] and [[Tang dynasty|Tang dynasties]] [[mother coin]]s reached their definite form and were produced in moulds engraved by ancestor coins, however during this same period a casting technique called "the lost wax method" was used to cast the Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins, in this method mother coins made from wax rather than metal were used, these mother coins were produced in large quantities because they were very cheap to make, unlike metal mother coins these wax mother coins stayed in the clay moulds and when the mould heated up they would melt away leaving a cavity for the molten metal to pour into forming the coins. This technique was also used for casting other bronze items however it was only used for casting coinage during the Sui and Tang dynasties and its sudden discontinuation pointed out to the fact that it was probably inefficient for mass producing small items such as coins.<ref>Ancient Chinese Coins - "[http://chinesecoins.lyq.dk/casting/Casting_of_coins_in_tang.html The casting of coins during the Tang]" by Lars Bo Christensen. Retrieved: 09 July 2018.</ref> === Clay moulds === The world's only known authentic specimen of a Tang dynasty period clay mould ({{zh|first=t|t=錢陶範|s=钱陶范|hp=Qián táo fàn| links=yes}}) that was used to cast Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins was unearthed in [[Shutang]], [[Wangcheng District]], [[Changsha]], [[Hunan]] on August 17, 1992 by Mr. Ceng Jingyi ({{zh|first=t|t=曾敬儀|s=曾敬仪|hp=Céng Jìngyí| links=no}}), a retired teacher and coin collector.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2015/01/18/kai-yuan-tong-bao-clay-mould/|title= ‘Kai Yuan Tong Bao’ Clay Mould.|date=18 January 2015|accessdate=5 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="CNKIClayMould">{{cite web|url= http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-ZGQB199301007.htm|title= 湖南望城出土开元通宝残陶范.|date=January 1993|accessdate=5 April 2020|author= 曾敬仪|publisher= 同方知网数字出版技术股份有限公司|language=zh-cn}}</ref><ref name="SinaYoubi2015">{{cite web|url= https://collection.sina.cn/youbi/2015-01-06/detail-icesifvy2906016.d.html?from=wap|title= 77岁钱痴收藏7000枚古钱币 含夏商时代贝币(图).|date=6 January 2015|accessdate=5 April 2020|author= Unlisted|publisher= [[Sina Corp]].|language=zh-cn}}</ref> The Kaiyuan Tongbao clay mould classified as a Chinese "[[national treasure]]" ({{zh|first=t|t=國寶級|s=国宝级|hp=Guóbǎo jí| links=no}}).<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> Up until the unearthing of this clay mould in the year 1992, no moulds were known to exist for the casting of Tang dynasty coinage.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> The discovery of this clay mould has made it unclear as to what process was actually used to cast the Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> While the Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins could have been cast in the traditional manner from moulds made of clay, stone, or bronze as was the case since the [[Warring States period]], it was believed that cash coins during this period were being cast in sand using "mother coins" (母錢) to make the impressions where the circulation cash coins would later be produced from.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> With the discovery of this unique clay mould, however, it has now been confirmed that clay moulds were still being used by mints to cast cash coins during the Tang dynasty period.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> The unique Kaiyuan Tongbao clay mould was placed on display at the "Exhibition of Chinese Ancient Coins" ({{zh|first=t|t=中國歷代錢幣展|s=中国历代钱币展|hp=Zhōngguó lìdài qiánbì zhǎn| links=no}}) which was held at the [[Ouyang Xun Cultural Park]] ({{zh|first=t|t=歐陽詢文化園|s=欧阳询文化园|hp=Ōuyáng xún wénhuà yuán| links=no}}) located in Shutang ({{zh|first=t|t=書堂|s=书堂|hp=Shū táng| links=no}}).<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> == History == {{Main|Ancient Chinese coinage}} Under the Tang dynasty the earlier [[Wu Zhu]] coins of the [[Sui dynasty]] would remain the standard currency, but during the fourth year of the Wu De (武德) period (or 621 of the [[Gregorian calendar]]) Emperor Gaozu decreed that the Kaiyuan Tongbao coin be cast with a strictly enforced standard weight of {{frac|10}} ''[[Tael|Liǎng]]'' (兩).<ref>Li Xueqin (李學勤), Lü Wenyu (呂文鬰) (1996). Siku da cidian (四庫大辭典), vol. 2, p. 1859. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]]).</ref><ref>Wang Yi (王益), Bai Qinxian (白欽先) (ed. 2000). Dangdai jiinrong cidian (當代金融辭典), Beijing: Zhongguo jingji chubanshe, p. 808. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]])</ref> [[File:Cast Chinese coins (330 B.C. - 1912 A.D.).jpg|thumb|left|The Kaiyuan Tongbao set the standard for the next thousand years of cast Chinese coinages until the early Republic of China.]] Unlike earlier Chinese cash coins which had their legends based on their weight, the Kaiyuan Tongbao was notably the first Chinese cash coin to use the ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) inscription and simultaneously inspired the ''yuán bǎo'' (元寶) inscription.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html#tang_dynasty_coins|title= Chinese coins – 中國錢幣 § Tang Dynasty (618-907).|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cointalk.com/threads/one-of-asias-most-influential-coins-tang-dynasty-kai-yuan-tong-bao.274045/|title= One of Asia's most influential coins - Tang Dynasty Kai Yuan Tong Bao.|date=31 January 2016|accessdate=6 June 2018|work= Loong Siew (CoinTalk).|language=en}}</ref> The reason that the Kaiyuan Tongbao also inspired the ''yuán bǎo'' legend is because the Chinese people themselves had trouble figuring out the correct character order, as the inscription is read in what was referred to as the [[:File:Tien co.PNG|"standard order"]] (top-bottom-right-left) some people accidentally read it in the wrong order as they had assumed that the inscription was read clockwise as Kaitong Yuanbao (開通元寶), this was also because rather than having the first two characters spell out the period title (which was Wu De when the Kaiyuan Tongbao was introduced), they had a different inscription. However this mistake in how the legend was read inspired the [[Northwest China|Northwest Chinese]] rebel [[Shi Siming]] to cast his own cash coins with the inscription Shuntian Yuanbao (順天元寶, ''shùn tiān yuán bǎo'') cash coins first issued in [[Luoyang]] in 759, this coin however does have a clockwise inscription. Another term that was used to denote "the currency type" in Chinese coin inscriptions was ''zhòng bǎo'' (重寶) which could be translated as "heavy currency".<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> The first cash coin to have this inscription was the Qianyuan Zhongbao (乾元重寶) which was first produced in the year 759. The terms ''yuán bǎo'' (元寶) and ''zhòng bǎo'' (重寶) which were both established during a 138 year period of the Tang dynasty would continue to be used on Chinese coins to the very end of the [[Qing dynasty]] in 1911.<ref>Anything Anywhere. [http://www.anythinganywhere.com/commerce/coins/coinpics/chin-tang.htm CHINA, coins of the Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD] by Bob Reis. Retrieved: 09 June 2018.</ref><ref>Calgary Coin & Antique Gallery - [http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china4.htm MEDIEVAL CHINESE COINS - THE SUI, T'ANG AND POST TANG DYNASTIES] by Robert Kokotailo. Retrieved: 09 June 2018.</ref><ref name="Primaltrek-Kaitongyuanbao">{{cite web|url=http://primaltrek.com/guide.html#san_xian|title= Guide to Reading Chinese Characters (Symbols) on Charms § Origin of Tong Bao, Yuan Bao and Zhong Bao - There is an interesting story regarding the origin of the terms "tong bao" (通寶), "yuan bao" (元寶) and "zhong bao" (重寶) which were used in inscriptions (legends) to mean "currency" on Chinese coins for about 1,300 years. I relate the story here because it illustrates that even native Chinese can have difficulty in understanding how Chinese coin inscriptions should be read.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><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: 09 June 2018.</ref> While the term ''tōng bǎo'' (通寶) was even used longer with the last Chinese cash coin, the [[Minguo Tongbao]] (民國通寶) being produced in [[Dongchuan District|Dongchuan]], [[Yunnan]] during the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|early Republic of China period]]. Another important difference with the inscription of the Kaiyuan Tongbao compared to earlier Chinese cash coins was that it was not written in [[seal script]] but rather in the more plain calligraphic [[clerical script]].<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> The Emperor ask one of China's most well-known calligraphers, [[Ouyang Xun]] to write down the legend of the cash coin.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> This was also the first time in Chinese history that a famous calligrapher wrote the characters for a Chinese cash coin.<ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould"/> Minting and copper extraction were centrally controlled, and private casting was punishable by death. For the first time we find regulations giving the prescribed coinage alloy: 83% [[copper]], 15% [[lead]], and 2% [[tin]]. Previously the percentages used seem to have been on an ad hoc basis. Actual analyses show rather less copper than this.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} At first, mints were set up in Luoyang in Henan, and also in Peking, Chengdu, Bingzhou (Taiyuan in Shanxi), and then [[Guilin]] in [[Guangxi]]. Minting rights were also granted to some princes and officials. By 660, deterioration of the coinage due to forgery had become a problem. The regulations were reaffirmed in 718, and forgeries suppressed. In 737, the first commissioner with overall responsibility for casting was appointed. 1 furnace that produced 3.3 million Kaiyuan Tongbao coins a year during the Tian Bao period between 713 and 756 would need 21220 jin of copper, 3709 jin of tin, and 540 jin per regulation of lead and had an average waste of 23,5 %. The Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins produced during the Tian Bao period had an officially set copper alloy however some Kaiyuan coins from this period were blue or white it's likely that other alloys were also used.<ref>Ancient Chinese Coins - [http://chinesecoins.lyq.dk/casting/Casting_of_coins_in_tang.html The casting of coins during the Tang] by Lars Bo Christensen. Retrieved: 09 July 2018.</ref><ref> Peng, Xinwei: A Monetary History of China. vol I. and II. (Translated from the Chinese original Zhongguo Huobi Shi 1965 by Kaplan, Edward H.) 1994 [[Western Washington University]].</ref> In 739, ten mints were recorded, with a total of 89 furnaces casting some 327,000 [[String of cash coins (currency unit)|strings]] of cash a year.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} 123 ''liang'' of metal were needed to produce a string of coins weighing 100 ''liang''.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} In the late 740s, skilled artisans were employed for casting, rather than conscripted peasants.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} Despite these measures, the coinage continued to deteriorate.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} In 808, a ban on hoarding coins was proclaimed.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} This was repeated in 817.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} Regardless of the rank of a person, they could not hold more than 5,000 strings of cash.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} Cash balances exceeding this amount had to be expended within two months to purchase goods.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} This was an attempt to compensate for the lack of cash in circulation.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} By 834, mint output had fallen to 100,000 strings a year, mainly due to the shortage of copper. Forgeries using lead and tin alloys were produced.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} Due to the fact that this continued to be produced for two centuries by various mints all over China there are several hundred varieties of the Kaiyuan Tongbao that can be distinguished from each other due to slight differences.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> The Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins that were first cast until the height of the Tang period, early issues can be very accurately assigned to their time of casting and archeological evidence from Tang era tombs indeed prove that the first stroke of the character "元" are shorter than later versions, for this reason these coins are referred to as "short one yuan" (短一元, ''duǎn yī yuán'') versions.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> A lesser quantity of these early Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins are made from what the Chinese call "white copper" (白銅, ''bái tóng'') and are subsequently referred to as "White Copper/Baitong Kaiyuan Tongbao coins" (白銅開元通寶, ''báitóng kāiyuán tōng bǎo'') today, however during the Tang dynasty itself they were given the nickname "pure coins" (青錢, ''qīng qián'') which also became the basis for the nickname (外號) of "pure coin scholar" (青錢學士, ''qīng qián xué shì'') which was given to [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang|Emperor Gaozong]] as his writings were said to resemble the coins.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> There also exist Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins which are differentiated by their second horizontal stroke, other than the first variant these others quite rare.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> The following versions of the Kaiyuan Tongbao coin can be distinguished by the "元" character's second horizontal stroke (or "shoulder"):<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/>{{efn|Excavations during the 1950s at a Buddhist pagoda on Niushou Hill in [[Jiangning]] indicated that there might be evidence that the Right Shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao and Two Shoulders Kaiyuan Tongbao variants might have been cast around [[Nanjing]].}} {|class="wikitable" |- ! [[English language|English]] (nick)name !! [[Traditional Chinese]] !! [[Simplified Chinese]] !! Differentiating characteristic !! Image |- | Left shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 左挑開元通寶 || 左挑開元通宝 || The left "shoulder" slants upwards. || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao - Dr. Luke Roberts.jpg|75px]] |- | Right shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 右挑開元通寶 || 右挑開元通宝 || The right "shoulder" slants upwards. || [[File:開元通寳 (Kai Yuan Tong Bao) - Dr. Luke Roberts 05.png|75px]] |- | Two shoulders Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雙挑開元通寶 || 双挑開元通宝 || Both "shoulders" slant upwards. || [[File:S281 Kaiyuan TIIIB1 (7243224050).jpg|75px]] |- | No shoulder Kaiyuan Tongbao || 不挑開元通寶 || 不挑開元通宝 || neither "shoulder" slants upwards. || [[File:K'ai Yuan T'ung Pao - John Ferguson 01.jpg|75px]] |} Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins also commonly have differentiating features on their reverse, these can include crescents which according to legend happened when either [[Empress Zhangsun]] or [[Empress Taimu]] or in some versions of the story [[Yang Guifei]] pressed her fingernail into a specimen Kaiyuan Tongbao coin made from wax.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Other sources claim that the crescents were added due to foreign influence.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Today it is widely believed that these crescents were marks of quality used by various mints.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Other than crescents, there were several Kaiyuan Tongbao coins with other reverse decorations, these include:<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> {|class="wikitable" |- ! [[English language|English]] (nick)name !! [[Traditional Chinese]] !! [[Simplified Chinese]] !! Differentiating characteristic !! Image |- | Crescent Moon Kaiyuan Tongbao || 月紋開元通寶 || 月纹開元通宝 || Has a crescent on its reverse. || [[File:S406 Kaiyuan TIIIA3 croissant (7243228908).jpg|75px]] |- | Pregnant Star Kaiyuan Tongbao || 孕星開元通寶 || 孕星開元通宝 || Has a dot on its reverse. || [[File:S589 kaiyuan typeIA H141m 1ar85 (9124907472).jpg|75px]] |- | Double Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雙月開元通寶 || 双月開元通宝 || Has two crescents on its reverse. || [[File:S136 Kaiyuan TIVA 2croissants (7243214170).jpg|75px]] |- | Star and Moon Kaiyuan Tongbao || 星月開元通寶 || 星月開元通宝 || Has both a crescent and a dot on its reverse. || |- | Auspicious Clouds Kaiyuan Tongbao || 雲紋開元通寶 || 云纹開元通宝 || Has clouds on its reverse. || |- | 3 Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 波紋開元通寶 || 波纹開元通宝 || Has 3 crescents on its reverse. || |- | 4 Moons Kaiyuan Tongbao || 四月開元通寶 || 四月開元通宝 || Has 4 crescents on its reverse. || |- | 4 Stars Kaiyuan Tongbao || 四星開元通寶 || 四星開元通宝 || Has 4 dots on its reverse. || |} Early Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are easily identified due to their deeply cut characters that never touch the rim of the coin, these are called "separate from the rim" Kaiyuan Tongbao coins ({{zh|t=隔輪開元通寶|s=隔轮開元通宝| hp=gélún kāiyuán tōng bǎo|links=no}}), while the reverse of these coins tend to have uniform and clear rims.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Later variants of the Kaiyuan Tongbao often have excess metal between the strokes of the Hanzi characters and even later variants have characters with strokes so long that they touch the rim, meanwhile the rims on the reverse side of these Kaiyuan Tongbao coins tend to be irregular and relatively flat.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/><ref>Ding Fubao. Lidai guqian tushuo (Catalogue of ancient coins), [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|Taiwan]], 1940, in [[Mandarin Chinese]], reprinted in 1995 with Ma Ding-xiang comments.</ref><ref>Fisher, Geo. Fisher's Ding ('Ding Fubao' with [[English language|English]] comments).</ref> == Huichang era Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins == '''Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao''' ({{zh|t=會昌開元通寶|s=会昌開元通宝| hp= huìchāng kāiyuán tōng bǎo|links=yes}}) cash coins are a series of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins produced under [[Emperor Wuzong of Tang|Emperor Wuzong]] who was a devout [[Taoist]] and used the [[Chinese era name|reign era name]] of ''huìchāng'' (會昌), during the 5th year of this epoch (845) Emperor Wuzong ordered the casting of new coins with the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao to be manufactured of bronze acquired by melting confiscated statues, copper bells, gongs, incense burners, and other copper items from [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temples.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} These local mints were under the control of the provincial governors. The [[New Book of Tang|New Tang History]] states that [[Li Shen]], governor of [[Huainan]] province, requested that the empire might cast coins bearing the name of the prefecture in which they were cast, and this was agreed. These Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins differed from earlier variants due to the fact that they had the character ''chāng'' (昌) on their reverse side, other mints in China then adopted this and soon 23 mints produced Kaiyuan Tongbao coins with their own mint marks.<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are also of inferior workmanship compared to earlier coins and are diminutive in size.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} When Emperor [[Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (9th century)|Emperor Xuanzong]] ascended to the throne in the year 846, the aforementioned policy was reversed, and the new coins were recast to make Buddhist statues.{{sfn|Hartill|2005|p=103}} The following mint marks could be found on Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins:<ref name="Primaltrek-Tang"/> {|class="wikitable" |- ! Mint mark<br>([[Traditional Chinese]]) !! Mint mark<br>([[Simplified Chinese]]) !! [[Pinyin]] !! Place of issue !! Image |- | 昌 || 昌 || Chāng || [[Huichang County|Huichang]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (Chang) - Scott Semans.jpg|75px]] |- | 京 || 京 || Jīng || [[Jingzhao]]{{efn|There exists a rare version of this coin that has a mirrored version of this mint mark.}} || [[File:開元通寳 (Kai Yuan Tong Bao) - Dr. Luke Roberts 08.png|75px]] |- | 洛 || 洛 || Luò || [[Luoyang]] || |- | 益 || 益 || Yì || [[Yi Province|Yizhou]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寶) - Yizhou Mint (益) - Scott Semans.jpg|75px]] |- | 荊 || 荆 || Jīng || [[Jingzhou (ancient China)|Jingzhou]] || |- | 襄 || 襄 || Xiāng || [[Xiang Prefecture (Hubei)|Xiangzhou]] || [[File:S475 Kaiyuan HuiChang (7256102580).jpg|75px]] |- | 藍 || 蓝 || Lán || [[Lantian County|Lantian]]{{efn|There exists a variant that has three clouds on the reverse. Another uncommon Huichang era coin from Lantian has the four character reverse inscription ''tài píng dà wáng'' (太平大王).}} || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寶) - Lantian Mint (藍) - Scott Semans 03.jpg|75px]] |- | 越 || 越 || Yuè || [[Yue Prefecture (Zhejiang)|Yuezhou]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (Yuè, Zhejiang) - Scott Semans (cropped).jpg|75px]] |- | 宣 || 宣 || Xuān || [[Xuancheng]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寶) - Xuancheng Mint (宣) - Scott Semans 04.jpg|75px]] |- | 洪 || 洪 || Hóng || [[Hong Prefecture|Hongzhou]] || |- | 潭 || 潭 || Dǎn || [[Changsha]]{{efn|There exists a lead version of this coin.}} || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (Tan - Lead) - Scott Semans.jpg|75px]] |- | 兗 || 兖 || Yǎn || [[Yan Prefecture (Shandong)|Yanzhou]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (Yan, Shandong) - Scott Semans.jpg|75px]] |- | 潤 || 润 || Rùn || [[Jiangsu]] || |- | 鄂 || 鄂 || È || [[Ezhou]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寶) - Ezhou Mint (鄂) - Scott Semans 04.jpg|75px]] |- | 平 || 平 || Píng || [[Ping Prefecture (Zhili)|Pingzhou]] || |- | 興 || 兴 || Xīng || [[Xingyuan]] || [[File:Xing Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao - Scott Semans.jpg|75px]] |- | 梁 || 梁 || Liáng || [[Liang Prefecture (Shaanxi)|Liangzhou]] || |- | 廣 || 广 || Guǎng || [[Guangzhou]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寶) - Guangzhou Mint (廣) - Scott Semans 05.jpg|75px]] |- | 梓 || 梓 || Zǐ || [[Dongchuan District|Dongchuan]] || [[File:Kai Yuan Tong Bao (Rosette) - Scott Semans 01.jpg|75px]] |- | 福 || 福 || Fú || [[Fuzhou]]{{efn|The majority of the Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao coins minted in Fuzhou have the mint mark above the squar hole while there are less common versions with the mint mark either to the right or below the square hole.}} || |- | 桂 || 桂 || Guì || [[Guiyang]] or [[Guizhou]] || |- | 丹 || 丹 || Dān || [[Danzhou (modern Shaanxi)|Danzhou]] || |- | 永 || 永 || Yǒng || [[Yongzhou]]{{efn|Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins with the "yong" (永) mint are the rarest.}} || |} == Influence outside of China == === Japan === [[Japan]]ese "Fuhonsen" and later the [[Wadōkaichin]] were modelled after the Tang dynasty's Kaiyuan Tongbao coin using similar calligraphy.<ref>[[Japan Mint]] [https://www.mint.go.jp/eng/kids-eng/eng_kids_history.html History of Japanese Coins (for kids)]. Retrieved: 06 June 2018.</ref> === Sogdia === [[File:A77 Sogdiane Samitan 1ar (8399125128).jpg|thumb|right|A Sogdian cash coin.]] During excavations in the historically [[Sogdia]]n cities of [[Afrasiab]] (old [[Samarkand]]) and [[Pendjikent]] a large number of Sogdian coins were uncovered, the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] numismatist Smirnova listed in her catalogue on Sogdian coins from 1573 published in 1981 a large number of coins of which several were based on Kaiyuan Tongbao's. Sogdian coins tend to be produced independently by each city and contain tribal mint marks known as ''tamgha's'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://numismatics.org/pocketchange/tag/kai-yuan-tong-bao/|title= Samarqand’s Cast Coinage of the Early 7th–Mid-8th Centuries AD: Assessment based on Chinese sources and numismatic evidence.|date=12 August 2016|accessdate=9 June 2018|work= Andrew Reinhard (Pocket Change – The blog of the [[American Numismatic Society]]).|language=en}}</ref> some cities used coins based on [[Sassanian Empire|Persian]] coinages (which made up 13.2% of the known variants), while others preferred Chinese cash coins which were influenced by the Tang dynasty's western expanse during the seventh century (cash style coins also made up the majority of Sogdian coins and accounted for 86.7% of all known variants), as well as hybrid coins which feature an image based on a square hole on one side of the coin and a portrait of the King in the other side (these made up 0.7% of the known variants). A number of Sogdian coins even imitate the Kaiyuan Tongbao inscription directly, but on their reverses have added Sogdian ''tamgha's'' on the right or left side of the hole as well as the Sogdian word for "lord". The modern era these Sogdian Kaiyuan Tongbao coins are reproduced in large numbers by forgers in [[Hong Kong]], these forgeries have proven to be very difficult to differentiate from the original coins and are abundant in quantity.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.charm.ru/coins/misc/soghdian-kaiyuan.shtml|title= Soghdian Kai Yuans (lectured at the Dutch 1994-ONS meeting)|date=1994|accessdate=8 June 2018|work= T.D. Yih and J. de Kreek (hosted on the Chinese Coinage Website).|language=en}}</ref><ref>Albaum, L.I. and Brentjes, B. (1971) Wachter des Goldes, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, [[West Berlin]]. (in [[German language|German]])</ref><ref>Barthold, W. (1968, reprint) Turkestan down to the Mongol invasion, Southern Materials Center Inc., [[Taipei]].</ref><ref>Ding Fubao (1940, reprint) pg. 72, Taipei. (in [[Mandarin Chinese]]).</ref><ref>Frye, R.N. (1954) History of Bukhara, AMS press, [[New York city|New York]].</ref><ref>Guo Ruoyu (1994) Zhonguo qianbi 1994-III, page 69, fig. 10 (in [[Mandarin Chinese]])</ref><ref>Smirnova, O.I. (1981) Svodnii Katalog Sogdiiskich Monet, [[Moscow|Moskwa]]. (in [[Russian language|Russian]])</ref><ref>Thierry, F. (1991) Typologie et Chronologie das Kai Yuan tong bao des Tang Revue Numismatique 33, 209-49. (in [[French language|French]])</ref> === Korea ===   − {{See also|Goryeo coinage|Korean mun}}   − Look for a better source.   − The Kingdom of [[Goryeo]] also issued cash coins with the inscription ''Gaewon Tongbo'' (開元通寶) between the years 998 and 1009. These cash coins were intended for international trade and due to the fact that they were only scarcely produced this suggests that domestically the majority of the [[Korean people]] retained their [[barter]] system for their daily exchanges.<ref name="ArmstrongEconomics">{{cite web|url= https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/research/monetary-history-of-the-world/by-country/korea/|title= Monetary History of Korea.|date=10 April 2012|accessdate=8 June 2017|work= Armstrong Economics (Researching the past to predict the future) |language=en}}</ref> === Vietnam === [[Vietnamese cash coins]] produced from the [[Đinh dynasty|Đinh]] until the late [[Trần dynasty]] tend to be heavily based on the Chinese Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins, an example would be the [[Lý dynasty]] era ''Thiên Tư Nguyên Bảo'' (天資元寶) cash coins cast under Emperor [[Lý Cao Tông]] which uses two distinct styles of Chinese calligraphy, one of them is a native Lý dynasty style and the other is based on the Kaiyuan Tongbao, often the Chinese character "Nguyên" (元) on older Vietnamese coins is copied directly from Chinese Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, particularly how the left hook of the character moves upwards, although variants of the characters in "pure Vietnamese styles" were cast simultaneously. Like many Kaiyuan Tongbao coins many of these early Vietnamese cash coins would add reverse crescents or mint marks which were often wholly borrowed from the calligraphic style of the Kaiyuan Tongbao. Every early Vietnamese cash coin that has a reverse inscription is based on the Kaiyuan Tongbao.<ref> The Asian Numismatic Museum (Sudokuone.com) [http://vietnam.sudokuone.com//thien_tu/study_tt.htm Vietnamese Thien Tu and Kai Yuan Style - Thiên Tư Nguyên Bảo 天資元寶 Thư pháp, viết theo phong cách, Trung Quốc Kai Yuan] by Dr. R. Allan Barker. Retrieved: 07 June 2018.</ref> == Modern influence == {{See also|Cash coins in art}} * A Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coin appears on the reverse side of a [[Banknotes of the Hong Kong dollar#2010 series|2010 Hong Kong banknote]] issued by the [[Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)|Standard Chartered Bank]] with a face value of [[Hong Kong dollar|$]]1,000.<ref name="StandardCharteredBank">{{cite web|url= https://av.sc.com/hk/content/docs/press_20110719.pdf|title= Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited 2010 New Series Hong Kong Banknotes.|date=|accessdate=13 March 2019|author= [[Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong)]].|language=en}}</ref><ref name="HenrySteiner">{{cite web|url= https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1622030/one-man-brand|title= Henry Steiner: the king of graphic design - You've seen Henry Steiner's work. It stares at you from billboards, banks and other buildings - it's even lurking in your pocket. Sarah Lazarus meets the father of Hong Kong graphic design as he celebrates his company's 50th anniversary.|date=25 October 2014|accessdate=13 March 2019|author= Sarah Lazarus|publisher= [[South China Morning Post|Post Magazine]].|language=en}}</ref> * In 2013 a sculpture of a Kaiyuan Tongbao with a diameter of 24 meters (or 78.7 feet) and a thickness of 3.8 meters (or 12.5 feet) was constructed to be displayed at the [[Baoshan National Mining Park]] (宝山国家矿山工园) [[theme park]] in the [[Guiyang Prefecture]] of [[Chenzhou]], [[Hunan]]. The sculpture is notably of a Huichang Kaiyuan Tongbao with the ''Gui'' (桂) mint mark.<ref name="PrimalTrekSculpture">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/09/03/worlds-largest-copper-coin-sculpture/|title= World’s Largest Copper Coin Sculpture.|date=3 September 2013|accessdate=13 March 2019|author= Gary Ashkenazy ( גארי אשכנזי )|publisher= Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture.|language=en}}</ref><ref name="ChangshaNews">{{cite web|url= http://news.changsha.cn/html/409/20130830/1331546.html|title= 世界最大铜钱币雕塑落户郴州桂阳 直径24米。|date=30 August 2013|accessdate=13 March 2019|author= News.Changsha.cn|language=Zh-cn}}</ref> * There is a 10 meter tall Kaiyuan Tongbao-shaped door which stands on a bridge in the [[Jiangxia District]] of [[Wuhan]], [[Hubei]].<ref name="RediffWuhan">{{cite web|url= https://m.rediff.com/news/report/pix-the-odd-odd-world-we-live-in/20160518.htm|title= The odd, odd world we live in!|date=18 May 2016|accessdate=13 March 2019|author= Photograph: VCG/VCG via [[Getty Images]].|publisher= [[Rediff.com]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="ForeignPolicyWuhan">{{cite web|url= https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/24/is-china-on-a-path-to-debt-ruin-chinafile-conversation-economic-reform/|title= Is China on a Path to Debt Ruin? There's still a chance to avoid the worst. It depends on how bold the government is willing to be.|date=24 May 2016|accessdate=6 April 2020|author= Houze Song, Derek Scissors, and Yukon Huang|publisher= [[Foreign Policy]]|language=en}}</ref> == Hoards of Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins == {{See also|List of coin hoards in China|List of coin hoards in Vietnam}} * https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/951705809 {{Done|Published}}. --[[User:Donald Trung|Donald Trung]] ([[User talk:Donald Trung|talk]]) 12:55, 18 April 2020 (UTC) . <nowiki> * A [[scrap metal]] collector named Nguyen Duc Dung found a hoard of [[Tang dynasty]] cash coins, while digging in a rice field on July 5, 2007.<ref name="Southeast-Asian-Archaeology-Tang-Dynasty-2007">{{cite web|url= https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2007/07/09/cache-of-tang-dynasty-coins-unearthed-in-vietnam/|title= Cache of Tang Dynasty coins unearthed in Vietnam.|date=7 July 2007|accessdate=16 April 2020|author= [[Nhân Dân]] ([[Communist Party of Vietnam]])|publisher= Southeast Asian Archaeology (SEAArch)|language=en}}</ref> Tran Anh Tuan, an artefact expert and the director of the Quảng Bình Provincial Museum, noted that Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins circulated in Vietnam during this period as [[Third Chinese domination of Vietnam|Vietnam was a part of China at the time]].<ref name="Southeast-Asian-Archaeology-Tang-Dynasty-2007"/> Nguyen Duc Dung was able to sell the cash coins for [[Vietnamese đồng|₫]] 200,000 ([[United States dollar|US$]] 12.50) per kilogram, which had a total value ₫ 4,000,00 (US$ 250).<ref name="Southeast-Asian-Archaeology-Tang-Dynasty-2007"/> * On July 11, 2007 three [[Waste collector|refuse collectors]] had unearthed five jars, which contained 30 kilograms of Tang dynasty period [[Kaiyuan Tongbao]] cash coins in the [[Hàm Ninh, Quảng Bình|Hàm Ninh]] commune, [[Quảng Ninh District]], [[Quảng Bình Province]].<ref name="Southeast-Asian-Archaeology-more-cash-coins-2007">{{cite web|url= https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2007/07/16/more-vietnamese-coins-in-the-news/|title= More Vietnamese coins in the news.|date=14 July 2007|accessdate=16 April 2020|author= [[Thanh Niên]] News|publisher= Southeast Asian Archaeology (SEAArch)|language=en}}</ref> * It was reported on 10 November 2011 by the Sichuan News Network (四川新闻网) that a large number of local residents of the [[Wenjiang District]], [[Chengdu]], [[Sichuan]] were recovering cash coins from the [[Golden Horse River]] ({{zh |first=t | t= 金馬河| s= 金马河| hp= jīn mǎ hé | links=no}}).<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2011/11/12/ancient-coins-discovered-in-golden-horse-river/|title= Ancient Coins Discovered in Golden Horse River.|date=12 November 2011|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Sichuan-News-Network-Golden-River-Hoard">{{cite web|url= http://scnews.newssc.org/system/2011/11/10/013361850.shtml|title= 上百村民金马河滩挖古钱 警方拉警戒线护宝(图).|date=10 November 2011|accessdate=9 April 2020|author= (四川新闻网|publisher= Sichuan News Network (四川新闻网)|language=zh-cn}}</ref> The Golden Horse River hoard is considered particularly unusual among Chinese coin hoards, because the bronze Chinese cash coins that were unearthed came from many different periods and dynasties in Chinese history spanning over two millennia.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> The local residents arrived with shovels, hoes, sickles, and any other equipment used for digging to search for more coins. Some of the local residents managed to dig up several kilograms of cash coins while other locals were only able to find ten or twenty cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> Soon the local police was alerted by the local authorities and they tried to cordon off the area to let the local Bureau of Cultural Relics dispatch archeologists to retrieve the cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> The treasure hunting done by the local residents was seen as "looting" because in accordance to the [[law of the People's Republic of China]] all cultural relics that are buried on land or discovered somewhere in the territorial waters or seas of China are at all times to be considered state property, and the local residents were asked by the police to "return" their findings.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> After the Chengdu archaeologists had arrived on the scene they had determined that the cash coins from the Golden Horse River board were strewn over an area approximately two hundred meters long and one hundred meters wide.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> Within only a short period of time the Chengdu archaeologists had managed to find over 5 kilograms of cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> The local archeologists stated that it was not practical to try to excavate the site or even attempt to preserve it because that there was a possibility of dangerous flood waters suddenly appearing.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> A few local archaeologists speculated as to why the cash coins were found there spun over such a large period of time, Mr. Liu Yumao (刘雨茂) noted that it was customary throughout Chinese history to place old cash coins into structures that were built for things such as irrigation and water conservancy, this superstition was done in the hopes of gaining good fortune and to avoid disaster.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> Liu Yumao further stated that the cash coins from the Golden Horse River hoard may have originally been buried inside of such a structure, and that later over time this structure had eroded and was washed.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> After this the cash coins could then have been carried across the river by the current and eventually ended at the site where they were found.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> As to why most of the unearthed cash coins came from the Tang dynasty period, local archeologist Mr. Wang Zongxiong (王仲雄) noted that it was possible that during this period a boat which was carrying coins across the Golden Horse River may have sunk and that the cash coins in its cargo were hidden underwater until they were found in 2011.<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> While most cash coins found at the Golden Horse River hoard are Tang dynasty period Kaiyuan Tongbao and Qianyuan Zhongbao (乾元重寶), while other inscriptions of cash coins found at the Golden Horse River hoard range from [[Han dynasty]] period [[Wu Zhu]] (五銖), [[Xin dynasty]] Huo Quan (貨泉) to [[Manchu people|Manchu]] [[Qing dynasty]] period [[Qianlong Tongbao]] (乾隆通寶) as well as [[Guangxu coinage]] (光緒錢).<ref name="PrimaltrekGoldenHorseRiverHoard"/> * During excavations of graves conducted on [[San Tau]] on [[Lantau Island]] in [[Hong Kong]] a number of coins were unearthed.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011">{{cite web|url= http://www.hkarch.org/pdf/report/2011%20Excavation%20Report%20for%20HKAS%202011%20Archaeological%20Investigation%20at%20San%20Tau,%20Lantau%20Island.pdf|title= Archaeological Investigation at San Tau, Lantau Island (Oct.-Dec. 2011).|date=March 2012|accessdate=10 April 2020|author= Mick Atha|publisher= [[Hong Kong Archaeological Society]]|language=en}}</ref> Excluding a single [[Hong Kong ten-cent coin]] with a diameter of 2/05 centimeters, a thickness of 0.20 centimeters, and a weight of 5 grams issued in 1961, all coins found during the excavation were [[Tang dynasty]] period Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> Most of the unearthed Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins were stacked which suggests that they were either strung together or kept in either a small bag or a pouch.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> The found cash coins were cast in different styles, sizes, thicknesses, and weights.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> All Tang cash coins had their inscriptions written in [[regular script]].<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> The smallest of the Tang coins were 2.40 centimeters in diameter while the largest were 2.60 centimeters.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> The grave with the most coins was identified as Grave G4.<ref name="San-Tau-Lantau-Island-2011"/> * It was reported on January 25, 2013 that during a renovation of one of the rear halls of the [[Fuhaiyuan Temple]] (福海院) in [[Anxi County]], [[Quanzhou]], [[Fujian]], a buried jar containing 27.5 kilograms of ancient Chinese cash coins was discovered.<ref name="PrimaltrekFuhaiyuanTempleHoard">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/01/27/kaiyuan-tongbao-coins-unearthed-at-fuhaiyuan-temple/|title= Kaiyuan Tongbao Coins Unearthed at Fuhaiyuan Temple.|date=27 January 2013|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Quanzhou-News-Fuhaiyuan-Temple-Hoard">{{cite web|url= http://www.anxinews.com/content/2013-01/25/content_4293490.htm|title= 安溪千年古寺出土27.5公斤开元通宝 窖藏原因不明.|date=25 January 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|author= Quanzhou News (泉州网-泉州晚报-东南早报)|publisher= www.anxinews.com|language=zh-cn}}</ref> All of these cash coins date to the Tang dynasty period and have the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao.<ref name="PrimaltrekFuhaiyuanTempleHoard"/><ref name="Quanzhou-News-Fuhaiyuan-Temple-Hoard"/> Construction on the temple began in the year 900 and it remains unknown why the cash coins were buried there.<ref name="PrimaltrekFuhaiyuanTempleHoard"/><ref name="Quanzhou-News-Fuhaiyuan-Temple-Hoard"/> A local official named Ms. Lin Meilian (林美莲) speculated that, despite the Fuhaiyuan Temple being the largest temple in the area during the Tang period, the cash coins might have been buried at the temple as a "[[rainy day fund]]".<ref name="PrimaltrekFuhaiyuanTempleHoard"/><ref name="Quanzhou-News-Fuhaiyuan-Temple-Hoard"/> * On February 20, 2013 workers digging at a construction site had unearthed a "money pit" that dated back some seven centuries in the city of [[Chenzhou]], [[Anren County]], [[Hunan]].<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/02/28/700-year-old-coin-pit-discovered-in-hunan-province/|title= 700-Year-Old Coin Pit Discovered in Hunan Province.|date=28 February 2013|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="China-News-Hunan-Coin-Pit-Hoard-2013">{{cite web|url= http://www.chinanews.com/shipin/cnstv/2013/02-22/news177147.shtml|title= 湖南安仁发现宋末元初时期钱窖.|date=22 February 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|author= 中国新闻网|publisher= [[China News Service|China News]] (中国新闻网)|language=zh-cn}}</ref> The "money pit" contained approximately 7.5 kg of cash coins dating from the late [[Southern Song dynasty]] period until the early [[Mongol Empire|Mongol]] [[Yuan dynasty]] period, with a few cash coins dating as far back as the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> The report on the find was covered by Mr. Cai Ning (蔡宁) of the [[Anren Prefecture Cultural Relics Administrative Office]] (安仁县文物管理所) and Mr. Duan Bangqiong (段邦琼) of the [[Anren Prefecture Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting and the Press]] (安仁县文广新局).<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> Over 20 different [[Southern Song dynasty coinage# Southern Song dynasty cash coins|inscriptions of Southern Song dynasty cash coins]] had been recovered at the site.<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> The reported cash coin inscriptions from the hoard include (among others) the Tang dynasty period Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song dynasty period Chongning Tongbao (崇寧通寶), Chongning Zhongbao (崇寧重寶), Zhenghe Tongbao (政和通寶), Huangsong Tongbao (皇宋通寶), and Xianping Zhongbao (咸平重寶), and the Mongol Yuan dynasty period Dade Tongbao (大德通寶).<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> Furthermore, the inscriptions mentioned by the news articles include Jingyuan Tongbao (景元通寶, Cảnh Nguyên Thông Bảo), which is sometimes attributed to [[Vietnam]], but the cash coins true origins remain unknown, and Chunhua Tongbao (淳化通寶).<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> What’s notable about this find is that no historical sources or major Chinese coin catalogues ever mentioned either the Chunhua '''Tong'''bao (淳化'''通'''寶) cash coins or the Xianping '''Zhong'''bao (咸平'''重'''寶) cash coins, as these might have been cast during the same periods as the Chunhua Yuanbao (淳化元寶) cash coins and the Xianping Yuanbao (咸平元寶) cash coins, respectively.<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> While no other Chunhua Tongbao cash coin has ever been known to exist prior to this find, another Xianping Zhongbao was unearthed in 2010 in [[Shaanxi]].<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> If the reports on these cash coins turn out to be true then this Anren County coin hoard would be considered a significant find in Chinese numismatics.<ref name="Primaltrek700YearOldCoinPit"/> * In a news report broadcast by the Anhui TV Station (安徽卫视) on May 18, 2013, it was reported that Chinese archaeologists from the [[Guzhen County Bureau of Cultural Relics]] (固镇县文物局) dug up 500 pounds of cash coins in [[Guzhen County]], [[Anhui]].<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/05/18/china-tv-shows-ancient-coin-cache-being-dug-up-in-anhui/|title= China TV Shows Ancient Coin Cache Being Dug Up in Anhui.|date=18 May 2013|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="ChinaNews2013AnhuiHoard">{{cite web|url= http://www.chinanews.com/cul/2013/05-17/4831472.shtml|title= 安徽固镇发现一宋代钱币窖藏出土古钱币500余斤.|date=17 May 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|work= [[China News Service|China News]] (中国新闻网)|language=zh-cn}}</ref><ref name="Anhui-TV-Station-2013-Coin-Hoard">{{cite web|url= http://www.chinanews.com/shipin/2013/05-18/news218008.shtml|title= 蚌埠：工地惊现500斤古钱币.|date=18 May 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|author= 安徽卫视|publisher= [[China News Service|China News]] (中国新闻网)|language=zh-cn}}</ref> The cash coins were discovered stacked together in a very orderly manner.<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard"/> The Chinese archaeologists speculate that most of the cash coins they found would have been threaded together on [[String of cash coins (currency unit)|strings]] and that they were then neatly arranged.<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard"/> However, by the time of the excavation the strings that held the cash coins together have long since rotted away and many of the unearthed cash coins were corroded together.<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard"/> The unearthed coins include Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins from the Tang dynasty period, as well as Yuanfeng Tongbao (元豐通寶), Yuanyou Tongbao (元祐通寶), Chongning Tongbao (崇寧通寶) cash coins among others from the Northern Song dynasty period.<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard"/> The archeologists of the Guzhen County Bureau of Cultural Relics suspect that the cash coins probably belonged to a rich family during the Northern Song dynasty period that wanted to hide the money from robbers or during a time of unrest.<ref name="PrimaltrekAnhui500CashCoinHoard"/> * In an April 25, 2013 article by the [[China News Service]] it was reported that the [[Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics]] (库车县文物局) was informed of the discovery of a large number of Tang dynasty period Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins at a construction site in [[Kuqa County]], [[Xinjiang]] on April 23, 2013.<ref name="PrimaltrekXinjiangKaiYuanTongBaoHoard">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2013/04/30/3000-tang-dynasty-kai-yuan-tong-bao-coins-unearthed-in-xinjiang/|title= 3,000 Tang Dynasty ‘Kai Yuan Tong Bao’ Coins Unearthed in Xinjiang.|date=30 April 2013|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="TianshanKai-Xinjiang-KaiYuanTongBao-Hoard">{{cite web|url= http://collection.sina.com.cn/yjjj/20130425/0952111720.shtml?from=wap|title= 新疆工地发现3000余枚唐代开元通宝钱币.|date=25 May 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|author= Tianshan News (天山网)|publisher= [[Sina Corp]]. (新浪)|language=zh-cn}}</ref><ref name="Xinjiang-News-Kaiyuan-Tongbao-Hoard-2013">{{cite web|url= http://collection.sina.com.cn/yjjj/20130502/1926112280.shtml?from=wap|title= 新疆库车出土近万枚唐代开元通宝.|date=2 May 2013|accessdate=8 April 2020|author= Xinjiang News (新疆网)|publisher= [[Sina Corp]]. (新浪)|language=zh-cn}}</ref> By April 24 a team of archeologists had uncovered around 3000 Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins, by this time the construction site was being managed by staff of the [[Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics]] and the Qiuci Bureau of Public Security (龟兹公安分局) and more cash coins were continuing to be unearthed at the site.<ref name="PrimaltrekXinjiangKaiYuanTongBaoHoard"/><ref name="TianshanKai-Xinjiang-KaiYuanTongBao-Hoard"/> According to Ms. Yin Qiuling (尹秋玲), a cadre with the Kucha Bureau of Cultural Relics, the Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins had been buried at the site for more than a millennium, and while the cash coins had acquired a patina, their legends could still be quite clearly read.<ref name="PrimaltrekXinjiangKaiYuanTongBaoHoard"/><ref name="TianshanKai-Xinjiang-KaiYuanTongBao-Hoard"/> The Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins at the site were found scattered in an area that was about 10 meters long by 5 meters wide.<ref name="PrimaltrekXinjiangKaiYuanTongBaoHoard"/><ref name="TianshanKai-Xinjiang-KaiYuanTongBao-Hoard"/> It was later reported on May 2, 2013 that the number of unearthed Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins at the site had almost reached 10,000.<ref name="PrimaltrekXinjiangKaiYuanTongBaoHoard"/><ref name="Xinjiang-News-Kaiyuan-Tongbao-Hoard-2013"/> * At approximately 10:00 [[Ante meridiem|AM]] on March 21, 2015 the excavator was dredging a small 6-meter wide river that runs through [[Longgang, Jiangsu|Longgang Town]], [[Yancheng]], [[Jiangsu]] had uncovered a pile of ancient Chinese cash coins dating to the Tang and Song dynasties that had been stored inside of a earthenware pot.<ref name="PrimaltrekYanchengHoard2015"/><ref name="SohuLonggangHoard"/> After the word of the coin hoard had spread throughout the village, a number of local residents started to "[[treasure hunt]]" in the area looking for more old cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekYanchengHoard2015"/><ref name="SohuLonggangHoard"/> The villagers had found around 200–300 catties (267–400 pounds, 121–181 kilograms) of cash coins before they were chased away by the police because it's illegal in the People's Republic of China to take "cultural relics" as they’re all legally [[government property]].<ref name="PrimaltrekYanchengHoard2015"/><ref name="SohuLonggangHoard"/> Zhao Yongzheng (赵永正) of the [[Archaeology Department of the Yancheng Museum]] (盐城市博物馆考古部) noted that this coin cache was probably buried there somewhere at the beginning of the Southern Song dynasty period.<ref name="PrimaltrekYanchengHoard2015"/><ref name="SohuLonggangHoard"/> The inscriptions of the unearthed cash coins included the Tang dynasty period Kaiyuan Tongbao, as well as the Song dynasty period Taiping Tongbao (太平通寶), Tiansheng Yuanbao (天聖元寶), Xiangfu Yuanbao (祥符元寶), Zhenghe Tongbao (政和通寶).<ref name="PrimaltrekYanchengHoard2015"/><ref name="SohuLonggangHoard"/> * On August 1, 2015 in the [[Qianjiang District]], [[Chongqing]], a woman named Wang Meiying (王美英), while collecting wood in the mountain area, had discovered a hole in which a large quantity of old cash coins were buried.<ref name="PrimaltrekMeitanCountyHoard"/> The cash coins found in the hole weighed about 30 catties and consisted of over 4,000 cash coins, the inscriptions found on the coins cover a period of about 1400 years.<ref name="PrimaltrekMeitanCountyHoard"/> The hoard includes Tang dynasty era Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins, Song dynasty era Jingde Yuanbao (景德元寶) and Yuanfeng Tongbao (元豐通寶) cash coins, and Ming dynasty era Chongzhen Tongbao (崇禎通寶) cash coins. But 80% of the hoard consists of [[Qing dynasty coinage]], namely [[Kangxi Tongbao]] (康熙通寶), [[Qianlong Tongbao]] (乾隆通寶), and [[Xianfeng Tongbao]] (咸豐通寶) cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekMeitanCountyHoard"/> It was reported by a 75 year old villager from the area named Ms. Wan Jixiang (万继湘), that this area of the Qianjiang District did not use cash coins in the past and that the area housed no landlords or government officials that could have accumulated such an amount of wealth.<ref name="PrimaltrekMeitanCountyHoard"/> As the area has had a long history of criminality, it was speculated by some locals that the cash coins may have been buried there long ago by bandits (土匪) who were on the run.<ref name="PrimaltrekMeitanCountyHoard"/> * On August 21, 2015 it was reported on by the government-owned Yueyang Daily (岳阳日报) that over a thousand Tang and Northern Song dynasty cash coins were discovered during the renovation of the [[Cishi Pagoda]] (慈氏塔) located in [[Yueyang]], [[Hunan]].<ref name="PrimaltrekCishiPagodaHoard">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2015/08/29/a-thousand-coins-discovered-at-cishi-pagoda/|title= A Thousand Coins Discovered at Cishi Pagoda.|date=29 August 2015|accessdate=6 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref><ref name="HunanDailyCishiPagodaHoard">{{cite web|url= https://china.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnJOMbI|title= 千余枚古钱币现身 岳阳慈氏塔.|date=22 August 2015|accessdate=7 April 2020|author= Hunan Daily (湖南日报)|publisher= china.huanqiu.com|language=zh-cn}}</ref> Among the cash coins are a number of early Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins from the Tang dynasty, as well as several Northern Song dynasty era inscriptions such as Chunhua Yuanbao (淳化元寶), Xianping Yuanbao (咸平元寶), Tianxi Tongbao (天禧通寶), and Tiansheng Yuanbao (天聖元寶).<ref name="PrimaltrekCishiPagodaHoard"/> Ou Jifan (欧继凡), the Deputy-Director of the [[Yueyang Municipal Office of Cultural Relics]] (市文物管理处副主任), stated that the date major restoration was confirmed to be 1066 through an analysis of the cash coins.<ref name="PrimaltrekCishiPagodaHoard"/> Ou Jifan further stated that there was an ancient tradition of burying coins during the construction and renovation of pagodas in China, as in the past people had believed that coins offered a form of protection to the pagoda that was being constructed or renovated, and that they furthermore would serve as a type of sacrifice to the heavens, and that the cash coins expressed the hope for peace.<ref name="PrimaltrekCishiPagodaHoard"/> Earlier during the same restoration of the Cishi Pagoda in 2015 a covered alms bowl with the inscription "Da Song Zhiping San Nian" (大宋治平三年, "the 3rd year of Zhiping of the Great Song") was discovered, which also indicates that the pagoda underwent a major renovation in the year 1066.<ref name="PrimaltrekCishiPagodaHoard"/>

== See also == {{Portal|Money}} * [[Flying cash]] == Notes == {{Notes}} == References == {{Reflist}} == Sources == * Hartill, David (September 22, 2005). ''Cast Chinese Coins''. [[Trafford]], [[United Kingdom]]: Trafford Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1412054669}}. {{Commons category|Kaiyuan Tongbao}} {{Chinese cash coin}} {{Chinese currency and coinage}} {{Tang dynasty topics}} [[:Category:Coins of China]] [[:Category:Economy of the Tang dynasty]] [[:Category:Chinese numismatics]] [[:Category:Cash coins by inscription]] .

Standard reference templates[edit]

April 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= April 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
March 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= March 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= March 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
February 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= February 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= February 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
January 2020.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= January 2020|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= January 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
December 2019.
  • <ref name="">{{cite web|url= |title= .|date=|accessdate= December 2019|author= |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
  • <ref name="Primaltrek">{{cite web|url= |title=.|date=16 November 2016|accessdate= December 2019|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>

To use[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>
    • <ref name="HoreshQing"/>
  • <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 to use[edit]

  • http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-ZGQB199301007.htm
    • <ref name="CNKIClayMould">{{cite web|url= http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-ZGQB199301007.htm|title= 湖南望城出土开元通宝残陶范.|date=January 1993|accessdate=5 April 2020|author= 曾敬仪|publisher= 同方知网数字出版技术股份有限公司|language=zh-cn}}</ref>
  • <ref name="PrimaltrekKaiyuanTongboClayMould">{{cite web|url= http://primaltrek.com/blog/2015/01/18/kai-yuan-tong-bao-clay-mould/|title= ‘Kai Yuan Tong Bao’ Clay Mould.|date=18 January 2015|accessdate=5 April 2020|work= Gary Ashkenazy / גארי אשכנזי (Primaltrek – a journey through Chinese culture)|language=en}}</ref>
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