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Warring States Period
Round Money-1 Lian 12 Chu
State of Qin
戰國時期
圜錢重一兩十二銖
秦國造
Item number: A1260
Year: 304-221 BC
Material: Bronze
Size: 38.9 x 38.4 x 1.4 mm
Weight: 13.05 g
Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2016
This is a round money “1 Lian 12 Chu” minted by the Qin state during the Warring States period. The coin is round with a circular hole in the centre. On the obverse side, the characters “一株重一兩.十二” are inscribed in seal script in a clockwise order. The reverse side is blank. Round monies minted by the Qin state are classified by weight into one liang and half liang. Scholars throughout history generally agree that “1 Lian 12 Chu” was a round money issued locally by the Qin state. The inscription “一株重一兩” indicates that this round money weighs one liang of the Qin state’s standard weight, while “十二” may refer to the coin mould number or the year of issuance. The character “株” in this context is recorded in historical texts as meaning “圜” or “圓” (round).
Round Money (圜錢) evolved from shell money. Archaeologists have discovered a type of finely cut and polished round shell with a central hole, which was used as currency in ancient times. Later, during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, these shell monies were cast in copper, forming the prototype of the round money. Early round monies were without inscriptions, featuring a central hole, one side convex and the other flat. Over time, they gradually evolved into square-holed round monies. By the early Eastern Zhou period, round monies with inscriptions began to appear, and by the early Warring States period, their circulation reached its peak. However, as various states’ governments forced the round money to be made heavier and more valuable, the production costs of these coins increased. Additionally, the regions where round money circulated often became battlegrounds during wars between states. As a result, round money makers were forced to continually reduce the weight of round money until it could no longer be decreased, leading to their eventual extinction.