This is an example of “Wu’an Pointed Foot Spade” currency minted in the state of Zhao during the Warring States period. Wu’an, near the Zhao capital of Handan, was an important economic and military stronghold. Due to its antiquity, this particular pointed foot spade has suffered significant corrosion, with only faint remnants of its original features visible. On the obverse side, there are discernible characteristics such as two vertical lines at the top and a central vertical line, serving as identifying features. However, on the reverse side, features such as a single vertical line at the top and additional vertical lines flanking the abdomen have been entirely obscured by rust.
Based on the collections from other museums, the Wu’an Pointed Foot Spade typically features the central vertical line on the obverse side, with the characters “Wu’an” engraved on both sides in a right-to-left sequence. Unfortunately, severe rusting has made these inscriptions illegible. According to historical records and archaeological findings, Wu’an during the Warring States period was known for its iron production rather than copper mining for coin minting. Therefore, the toponymic inscriptions on Zhao state spade money may not necessarily indicate the minting location but could also refer to the place of circulation.
Additionally, during the Warring States period, territorial boundaries among states were fluid, with cities often changing hands or overlapping between different states. For example, Wu’an, at various times during the Warring States period, was under the control of Zhao, Han, and Qin. As a result, archaeological excavations in the area have uncovered not only Zhao state’s pointed foot spades but also hollow-handled spades of the Han state.
Spade money, also referred to in historical texts as “鎛” or homophonously as “布,” were metal coins shaped like spades, an agricultural tool. As the first form of metallic currency in Chinese history, spade money often appears in the logos of financial departments and banking institutions in regions such as China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The development of spade money dates from the late Shang Dynasty to the Warring States period, with the Three Jins region (Han, Zhao, and Wei) serving as its core and giving rise to various forms. Spade money circulated in Zhao, particularly represented by the “Pointed foot spade” with angular bases, available in large and small sizes. Small pointed foot spades are more commonly found in archaeological excavations, with over forty different variations known to exist. Even for spades minted in the same location, variations in the characters used to denote the place name may still be observed.
