Warring States Period

lu Square Footed Spade Money

State of Han

戰國時期

方足布

韓國造

Item number: A1283

Year: 403–230 BC

Material: Bronze

Size: 46.5 x 28.88 mm

Weight: 5.14 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2016

This is a “Lu” Square Footed Spade Money made by the state of Han during the Warring States period. The obverse side features the character “露” (Lu) in seal script, with a vertical stripe running from the top of the spade money down to the bottom. The reverse side also has the same vertical stripe, along with two diagonal stripes extending from the top part of the spade money to the foot area. The “露” character on the obverse side of the spade money represents a place name, which roughly corresponds to the present-day Licheng County and Lucheng District in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. During the Warring States period, this area was under the jurisdiction of the state of Han.

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.

Among various forms of spade money, the square-footed spade money was the most widely minted and circulated. In addition to the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei, other states such as Yan, Qi, Lu, Song, and Qin also minted and issued square-footed Spade money. The quantity of square-footed Spade money unearthed, as well as the diversity of their types, far exceeds that of other pre-Qin currencies, making it one of the most prominent forms of currency during that time.

物件編號: A1283

年代: 公元前 403-230 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 46.5 x 28.88 mm

重量: 5.14 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2016

這是一件戰國時期的韓國所造的「露」方足布,其正面以篆字鑄一「露」字,並有一道豎紋從幣首穿至正下方,背面也有同樣豎紋,並有兩道斜紋從首部斜插至足部。布幣正面的「露」字是地名,所在地大略為現代山西省長治市的黎城縣、潞城區一帶,在戰國時期為韓國轄地。

布幣是仿造鏟形農具的金屬錢幣,史書上寫作「鎛」或同音字「布」。由於布幣是中國歷史上第一種金屬貨幣,經常能在中國、香港和臺灣等地的財政部門和銀行機構標誌裡發現布幣。布幣從商朝末期發展到戰國時代,以三晉地區(韓、趙、魏)為核心已延伸出多種形態。其中方足布是在多種形態的布幣當中鑄造、流通範圍最廣的一種,除了韓、趙、魏三國以外,如燕、齊、魯、宋、秦等國亦曾鑄造、推行方足布,方足布的出土數量之多,類型之繁雜,皆遠超於其他先秦貨幣,可說是當時最為顯赫的貨幣。

類似/相同物件 請看:

臺灣 國立歷史博物館 National Museum of History

https://collections.culture.tw/nmh_collectionsweb/collection.aspx?GID=MGM7MRMSM8M2

中國 國家博物館 National Museum of China

https://www.chnmuseum.cn/zp/zpml/201812/t20181218_23290.shtml

更多相關訊息請參考:

蔡養吾,《中國古錢講話附古錢餘話》(台北市:淑馨出版社,1999)

馬靜,〈淺談戰國時期三晉貨幣方足布的品類〉,《山西省:文物世界》,(2013),頁10-11

戴志強與戴越,〈三晉兩周的方足布——讀先秦布幣(五)〉,《北京市:中國錢幣》,(2014),頁4

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