Item number: A3838／A3749／A3752／A3750／A3751／A3837

Year: 546-221 BC (A3838)／546-284 BC (A3749、A3752)／546-356 BC (A3750、A3751、A3837)

Material: Bronze

Size: 16.3 x 10.5 x 2.6 mm (A3838)／19.5 x 10.6 x 2.2 mm (A3749)／19.6 x 10.9 x 2.3 mm (A3752)／18.1 x 11.3 x 2.4 mm (A3750)／19.0 x 12.4 x 2.8 mm (A3751)／16.2 x 10.4 x 2.4 mm (A3837)

Weight: 2.4 g (A3838)／1.55 g (A3749)／1.6 g (A3752)／1.3 g (A3750)／1.4 g (A3751)／1.45 g (A3837)

Provenance: Spink 2023

These are bronze currencies cast and circulated by the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period to Warring States period, known as “ant-nose coins”.

The “xùn ant-nose coin” has an elongated oval form, slightly broader at the top and narrower at the bottom, with a circular dot at the lower edge that may originally have been a perforation. The obverse inscription is most commonly interpreted as the large seal script character xùn (巽), though alternative readings have been proposed, including “錢” (coin), “錙” (zī), “晉”, “󱮈” (jī), “貝” (cowrie), “襄”, the composite character “半兩” (half liang), and the composite “貝化” (“cowrie currency”). A recent interpretation suggests that the average weight of these coins is close to 3.9 grams, corresponding to one zī, and that the inscription represents an abbreviated form of the large seal script character “錙”. Specimens have been excavated across Hunan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, and Shaanxi, and this type is the most numerous among surviving ant-nose coins.

The “Ge liu zhu (each worth six zhu) ant-nose coin” has an elongated oval form, slightly narrower at the top and broader at the bottom. The obverse inscription resembles the large seal script character zhāi (夈); however, when analysed from top to bottom, it appears to consist of the elements suī (夊), píng (平), and mù (木). At the very top is a circular dot that may originally have been a perforation.

Interpretations of the inscription vary widely and include readings such as “資”, “肂” (sì), “有土之本” (“the foundation of possessing land”), “各六朱” (“each worth six zhu”), “各一朱” (“each one zhu”), “聖朱” (“sacred zhu”), and “五朱” (“five zhu”). Excavated examples generally weigh approximately 3.2 grams, close to the five-zhu standard. Coins of this inscription type have been unearthed at Changsha in Hunan; Xuzhou and Kunshan in Jiangsu; Xianyang in Shaanxi; Wuyang, Gushi, and Yiyang in Henan; and Shouxian in Anhui. The obverse surface is convex, while the reverse is flat. This type is the second most numerous among surviving ant-nose coins.

The “jun ant-nose coin” also has an elongated oval form, slightly broader at the top and narrower at the bottom. The obverse inscription is generally interpreted as the large seal script character jun (君), with a circular dot at the lower edge that may originally have been a perforation. According to whether the central stroke of the ren (人) component is continuous or separated, two graphic variants may be distinguished; both are relatively rare. The meaning of the inscription remains unclear and may relate either to weight notation or to a place name. Specimens have been unearthed at sites including Xianyang in Shaanxi and Xinyang in Henan, and they are generally of lighter weight.

The prototype of the ant-nose coin is generally considered to have been cowrie currency. Owing to its oval shape—slightly broader at one end and narrower at the other—and its small, lightly convex obverse, it acquired the name “ant-nose coin”. It is also known as the “ghost-face coin”, because the most frequently excavated obverse inscription is a large seal script character interpreted as xùn (巽), in which two sì (巳) components resemble eyes. These coins are typically single-sided and perforated, though examples with joined backs or sealed perforations are also known. The earliest textual record appears in Quan Zhi by Hong Zun of the Song dynasty. The obverse inscriptions are diverse: during the late Spring and Autumn period and the early Warring States period, multiple types circulated simultaneously; by the middle Warring States period, “夈” and “巽” predominated; and in the late Warring States period, the inscription was standardised as “巽”.

In the early Spring and Autumn period, in the first year of King Wen of Chu (689 BC), King Wen of Chu, Xiong Zi, ascended the throne at Ying, prompting the relocation of the capital from Danyang to Ying (within the present-day territory of Yicheng, Xiangyang, Hubei). In 506 BC, the state of Wu invaded the Chu capital at Ying, forcing King Zhao of Chu to flee; hostilities continued even after his return. In 504 BC, the Chu king moved the capital to Ruo (also within present-day Yicheng, Xiangyang, Hubei) and renamed Ruo as Ying, a site also referred to in some sources as Yan Ying. Several years later, King Zhao relocated the capital to Jiangling, also known as Jinan City (south of present-day Jinan Town, Jingzhou District, Jingzhou, Hubei), likewise called Ji Ying. In 447 BC, Chu annexed Cai. In the final phase of the Chu state, in the twenty-second year of King Kaolie of Chu (241 BC), the capital was moved eastward to Shouchun, formerly part of the territory of Xia Cai, and named Ying, later known as Shou Ying. In 223 BC, Qin forces captured Shou Ying, and the state of Chu fell.

物件編號: A3838／A3749／A3752／A3750／A3751／A3837

年代: 公元前 546-221 年 (A3838)／公元前 546-284 年 (A3749、A3752)／公元前 546-356 年 (A3750、A3751、A3837)

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 16.3 x 10.5 x 2.6 mm (A3838)／19.5 x 10.6 x 2.2 mm (A3749)／19.6 x 10.9 x 2.3 mm (A3752)／18.1 x 11.3 x 2.4 mm (A3750)／19.0 x 12.4 x 2.8 mm (A3751)／16.2 x 10.4 x 2.4 mm (A3837)

重量: 2.4 g (A3838)／1.55 g (A3749)／1.6 g (A3752)／1.3 g (A3750)／1.4 g (A3751)／1.45 g (A3837)

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

這是一些戰國時期楚國鑄行之銅質貨幣「蟻鼻錢」。

「巽 蟻鼻錢」 形制呈一拉長的橢圓，上方略寬而下方略窄，最下方有一圓點，原或為穿孔。面文多釋為大篆「巽」，亦有釋為「錢」、「錙」、「晉」、異體「幾」、「貝」、「襄」、合字「半兩」、合字「貝化」者。有新論認為平均錢重與推定為3.9克的一錙相近，面文則為大篆「錙」的減省。在湖南、山東、江蘇、河南、陝西各地均有出土。為目前存世最多者。

「各六朱 蟻鼻錢」形制呈一拉長的橢圓，上方略窄而下方略寬，面文看似大篆「夈」(zhāi)，實際從上到下大概寫為「夊、平、木」，最上方有一圓點，原或為穿孔。面文釋義眾說紛紜，有「資」、「肂」(sì)、「有土之本」、「各六朱」、「各一朱」、「聖朱」、「五朱」。出土均重約3.2克，近五銖。該字蟻鼻錢於湖南長沙、江蘇徐州、崑山、陝西咸陽、河南舞陽、固始、宜陽、安徽壽縣均有出土。正面為凸面，背面為平面。為目前存世次多者。

「君 蟻鼻錢」 形制呈一拉長的橢圓，上方略寬而下方略窄。面文多釋為大篆「君」，最下方有一圓點，原或為穿孔。依其中間的「人」旁中央是否連筆，分為兩種寫法，均頗為罕見。文義不明，可能為紀重或紀地。於陝西咸陽、河南信陽等地有出土。均重較輕。

蟻鼻錢原型大約為貝幣，因其橢圓形狀，一端略寬而一端稍窄、面凸輕小而得名。又名鬼臉錢，因蟻鼻錢出土最多之面文，為一釋為「巽」字的大篆，其中兩個「巳」旁看似眼睛，因而得名。一般為單面、穿孔，但也可見有合背、封孔者。最早於宋洪遵《泉志》中有載。面文多元，於春秋晚期至戰國早期一併同時流通，至戰國中期則以「夈」、「巽」為主，戰國晚期則統一為「巽」。

春秋早期，楚文王元年(公元前689年)，楚文王熊貲於郢即位，於是都城自丹陽遷至郢(今湖北省襄陽市宜城市境內)，公元前506年，吳國入侵郢都，楚昭王逃跑，回到郢後仍未停戰。公元前504年，楚王遷都於鄀(亦位於今湖北省襄陽市宜城市境內)，並且把鄀城改稱郢，亦有為鄢郢一說。幾年後楚昭王遷都江陵，又名紀南城(今湖北省荊州市荊州區紀南鎮南部)，亦稱紀郢。公元前447年，楚滅蔡。楚國末期，楚考烈王二十二年(公元前241年)，楚國國都東遷至原屬下蔡地區的壽春，命名為郢，後世稱壽郢。公元前223年，秦軍陷壽郢，楚亡。