Who invented money? (western)

Money is the medium of commodity exchange and the inevitable product of the development of commodity production. The well-documented origin of China's currency is the "copper shell" in Shang Tang period, and before that, Xia, Shang, ancient, stone and pottery shells had already begun to circulate. The development of shells from decorations to money can be traced back to the period of the Yellow Emperor. Since the use of shells, the history of money civilization in China has been four or five thousand years.

The origin of metal currency should be after Yin Shang and Chinese ancestors mastered the technology of smelting metal. Copper blocks were unearthed in some tombs of the Shang Dynasty, which may be the earliest metal currency.

After a long-term barter trade, China produced an early copy currency. With the difference of regional economy, different tribes use different early currencies. Some controversial bronzes unearthed today, such as axes, jasmine, fish, nets, etc., are similar to practical vessels but smaller in size, and some are unearthed in small batches. The unearthed tombs all appeared in the tombs of Yin and Shang Dynasties before Qin Dynasty. Therefore, many ancient coin collectors regard these objects as the currency in the early Shang Dynasty.

Pre-Qin currency

Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou before Qin unified China. Due to the different living environment of each tribe (country), its coinage began after an uncertain period and was based on its main production tools. According to research, there are four main sources: knife, axe, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife. Tribes living in areas with plenty of water in the lake make a living by fishing. Their coins are like totems, names, weights and so on. In some areas with developed handicrafts, the currencies of the same period were square or round currencies adapted to their civilization. Whether this currency is like a spindle or jade is still a mystery. But what is certain is that tribes that use circular currency are more civilized and developed.

Qin and Han currency

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period before the Qin Dynasty unified China, China's ancestors created and cast a square hole round weighing coin, whose shape implied the concept of heaven and earth. The writing is simple, the book uses big seal script, and the half-two currencies of different sizes are now commonly known as the first Qin half-two or the Warring States half-two. After Qin Shihuang unified China. On the basis of the unified balance of power system, it is the basis of unifying Qin and Ban Liang. But soon, due to tyranny and huge military expenditure, the minted currency kept losing weight and became lighter. At the beginning of the founding of the army, Liu Bang paid for the army himself. Qian Wen adopted the old name of Qin Banliang. But the actual weight is only about three baht. Allow people to make their own castings. Therefore, most of the small seal characters, light, light, small and shallow, are all Han and half beams. Because the government and the people are casting the same money, it varies from time to time, so the varieties are complex and it is impossible to collect them all. Due to repeated weightlessness and low credit, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was militaristic and the country was short of money, so he issued all the money to pass on the economic crisis. First, it ordered to stop casting three baht in half-paper, and at the same time issued white deerskin coins (worth 400 thousand) in China, and issued three kinds of gold, which were cast with silver and tin respectively. These three kinds of dragons, horses and turtles are worth three thousand, five hundred and three hundred respectively. In the 5th year of founding ceremony in Han and Yuan Dynasties (A.D. 18), it began to cast five baht, and in the 4th year of Wude in Tang Gaozu (A.D. 62 1 year), it lasted for nearly 700 to 800 years. It is the currency with the longest casting cycle in China. The number of people left behind is huge and the categories are complex.

Currency in Wang Mang's Period

Since Wang Mang's second year (AD 7), he has carried out three monetary reforms successively, casting a fine currency that has attracted worldwide attention. Wang Mang changed the currency for the first time, and mainly minted three kinds of high-value counterfeit money, namely "Daquan 50", "Qidao" and "Wrong Dao". The second time (AD 9), the knife and money were abolished, and five baht was banned, and Koizumi, The Complete Collection of Fifty, and Koizumi Neiyi were promoted. So these two coins have been widely circulated so far. The third reform began in the second year of the founding of the People's Republic of China (A.D. 10), and the valuables system was implemented. There are five objects (gold, silver, copper, turtle and shellfish) and six people (Zhu goods, shellfish goods, cloth goods, turtle treasures, silver goods and gold) in the area, with a total of 28 products.

Although the money system is chaotic, the quality of casting money is the peak of a generation, so Wang Mang is known as the first master of casting money. Wang Mang and Shufa Qian used the method of hanging money, printing money and casting money, which were very high-profile, whether round money, cloth money or knife money, thus protecting the characters well and making the money handed down popular, making people fondle it.

Three currencies

Wei, Shu and Wu are called the Three Kingdoms in history. During this period, the monetary system was complicated, wars continued and historical records were unknown. Nowadays, it is difficult to distinguish between the casting place and the casting time when it is broken into the currency of the Three Kingdoms period.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the monetary systems in different places were different. Wei won five baht, Shu invested five baht, and there was another 150 baht. Wu has five hundred big springs, one thousand big springs, two thousand big springs, five thousand big springs and so on. In addition, when Taiping Hundred Money and Dingping Hundred Money were returned to the Three Kingdoms, Taiping Hundred Money was cast by Yizhou secretariat, and Dingping Hundred Money may also be cast by Shu. The currency history books of the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties made no mention of casting money in the Western Jin Dynasty. Five baht was mainly used at that time. When the Western Jin Dynasty unified China, the national treasury was enriched and the national strength was strong. Therefore, in addition to using the old money of the Han dynasty, it should also be cast by itself. Today, it is not easy to distinguish the differences between Wei and Jin dynasties. At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, after the Eight Kings Rebellion, all ethnic minorities went their separate ways, and many of them made their own money. Te Li and Li Liu, leaders of the Ba people, founded the Han Dynasty in Sichuan, and created "Hanxing", the first currency named after the year in China history. Schleswig replaced the Huns to establish the pre-Zhao, and became king on its own, which was called the post-Zhao in history, casting "abundant goods". Before cooling, stretch the track and cast "Cooling to Create a New Spring". During the Southern Dynasties, the old five baht in the Han Dynasty was cut into small coins, which was popular for a while and was privately cast into the wind. Song Wendi Yuanjia seven years (AD 430) cast four baht. It was rarely circulated, and later it was changed to build four baht to show filial piety. This spring, the style of writing is beautiful, and its seal script moves like a dancing sleeve, which is very beautiful. In 465, Yong Guang was cast. A few months later, he changed Jinghe, and he voted Jinghe again. It is extremely rare for two yuan to survive in the world. During Liang Wudi's period, there were two main types of five baht, one was with wheels and the other was without wheels, and the one without wheels was called "female money". After Emperor Yuan of Liang moved the capital to Jiangling, it was changed to "two pillars and five baht" in ten years, and Emperor Jing of Liang changed it to "four pillars and five baht" in the second year of Taiping, and it was used for twenty years. Both of them are rare now. During the Tianjia period, five baht was cast on a large scale to resist small money, and one was ten, and Chen Zhutai was five baht. This kind of spring seal is magnificent in symmetry and wonderful in production, ranking first in the Southern Dynasties. The Western Wei Dynasty cast five baht in Yong 'an, and the Northern Zhou Dynasty cast various countries, five elements of cloth and cloth springs. These three spring products, commonly known as the "Three Products of Northern Zhou Dynasty", have exquisite calligraphy and excellent casting, which is another peak of money casting after Wang Mang.

Sui and Tang dynasties currency

After Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty laid the foundation stone for Chen, the five baht of the Sui Dynasty became the unified legal tender, and the word "fierce" was left and one was vertical in the five baht of the Sui Dynasty, and small samples were common. In the early Tang Dynasty, the old coins of Sui Dynasty were still used. Tang Gaozu Wude four years (AD 62 1 year), ordered the abolition of five baht, casting Kaiyuan Bao Tong, ending the history of two currencies in China and entering Bowen currency. Qian Wen, the four-character "Kaiyuan Bao Tong", was written by Ou Yangxun, a calligrapher. His words are dignified and dignified, showing the prosperous and peaceful style of the Tang Dynasty. Kaiyuan Bao Tong was cast in the Tang Dynasty for more than 200 years, and its price remained stable with little change. It is still used by merchants and folk music, and it is also one of the longevity stars of coins in the late Qing Dynasty. The casting volume of Kaiyuan money is huge, which has been widely circulated so far, and there are many versions. In Tang Gaozong (the first year of Ganfeng (AD 666)), due to the increasing extravagance and waste, the military expenditure surged, and it was rejected by the merchants. After a year, he was forced to stop casting, so it was handed down less. During the Anshi Rebellion, Shi Siming got a lot of money according to the East Capital. As the saying goes, "it is easy to get heaven, but difficult to get land." After the Anshi Rebellion, the economy of the Tang Dynasty was severely damaged. In order to pay the military expenses, in the first year of Gan Yuan, Tang Suzong made another new treasure of Gan Yuan, then made ten, five, three and finally one, and walked with Kaiyuan. This is the beginning of Qian Wenzhong's emphasis on money. The casting of dry yuan money has been cast from the early years of Su Zong to the end of Tang Dynasty, so it is widely spread and the format is very complicated.