It accounts for a large proportion in the collection of cultural relics.
Ancient coins account for a large proportion of cultural relics in our city, among which the coins with round holes are the most. Because of its own fluidity, coins have entered thousands of households, unlike jade and bronze which were monopolized by princes and ministers for a long time. So there are more coins. In the process of collecting and collecting coins in our city, there were three times when a large number of coins were put into storage:
1.1982 in may, villagers of Xiao Xia production team in Zhao Xia village of Miao' an donated a jar of round coins hoarded in Qing dynasty. About 30 kilograms, this batch of Qing dynasty round money is seriously corroded. 2.1July, 987, a batch of Tang Dynasty coins, about 64kg, were unearthed at the construction site south of Shi Cun Street. This batch of money is not only well preserved, but also rich in variety. Some scarce currencies are very precious and valuable. In the mid-1990s, the cultural relics management department organized personnel to sort them out, from which Gan Yuan Chongbao and some Huichang Kaiyuan were selected. At present, the Tang Dynasty coins on display in the museum are basically selected representatives. 3.1April, 1992, a batch of ancient coins of Song Dynasty, weighing 203kg, were unearthed in Shuizipu village of Xisipo, but most of them were rusted.
The coins unearthed in the above three times alone amounted to nearly 300 kilograms. Plus the coins donated by individuals in dribs and drabs, selected from the county waste collection station, recovered from the cultural relics involved, and unearthed from archaeological excavations, it is conceivable that the number of coins is considerable and the types are rich and diverse, from Chu Dabu, Ant Nose Money, Qin Banliang and Han Wuzhu in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to various forms of new mang coins. To the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Northern Qi Dynasty, Changping was five baht, and Sui Dynasty was five baht; Precious currency in Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties; Banknotes and commemorative coins for the Republic of China; And silver ingots, silver collars, ingots and other monetary shapes are more or less collected. Each kind of coin is based on the relevant political background and humanistic care, and is condensed from one story after another.
Chu Dabu and Ant Nose Money
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, metal coins appeared and were widely circulated. Under the growing economic system of agriculture, commerce and handicrafts, various currencies have emerged, forming four major currency circulation regions and four major currency systems; That is, sub-currency system, knife currency system, winning money system and Chu currency system.
There are two kinds of Chu coins: North coins and cloth coins. Shell coins imitate natural shells and have facial expressions, commonly known as face money or ant nose money. Cloth coins are rectangular, slender, with feet hanging like swallowtails, inverted trapezoidal head width and holes at the upper end. In the old days, facial expressions were interpreted as "special cloth is strange" and "four cloth is strange", which was the currency of the late Chu State. Its "special cloth" is roughly similar to the flat shoulder square ruler cloth prevailing in Sanjin area at that time, but it is long, narrow and huge, about 10 cm long, about 3.7 cm wide and weighs about 33 grams. So it is also called "Chu Dabu".
Chu Dabu belongs to the Central Plains cultural system, and was born out of shovel-shaped farm tools. Ant nose money was born out of seashells in Chulu area. Suzhou Museum has 8 pieces of Chu Dabu, 18 pieces of ant nose money. Several Chu supplements were donated to two people respectively, and it is worth mentioning that one of them donated seven pieces. 1984 during the second national cultural relics survey, when the staff visited the local villagers in Qiuzhai Natural Village, Qiuyuanzi Village, Qixian County, an old woman named took the initiative to take out seven pieces of Chu Dabu from home, which were said to have been found while weeding in the field in the early years and have been treasured for many years. The old man is a martyr's survivor, so he donated it without any reward.
Ant-nose money was another kind of copper coin of Chu State in the Warring States Period. Because it was born out of Beibi, it is an advanced form of bronze Beibi development. Because there is an inscription on the bridge of its nose that looks like an ant resting, it is called ant nose money. Another inscription is similar to a grimace, so it is also called grimace money. The ant nose money collected in our city was exchanged by Feixi Cultural Relics Department with other ancient coins in the mid-1980s.
"Kaiyuan Bao Tong" in Tang Dynasty
Coins began to have "Bao Tong" in the Tang Dynasty, which opened a new era in the history of coins and occupied an important position in the history of coin development.
In the early Tang Dynasty, the use of Sui five baht was easy and confusing. In the fourth year of Wude in Tang Gaozu (AD 62 1 year), in order to rectify the chaotic monetary system, waste Sui money, imitate the strict norms of five baht in the Western Han Dynasty, and start casting "Kaiyuan Bao Tong" to replace the remaining five baht in society. The original "Kaiyuan" was inscribed by calligraphers, and its shape still follows Qin's round money. It is stipulated that every ten articles weigh one or two, each article weighs one yuan, and a thousand articles weigh six catties and four ounces.
Many people think that "Kaiyuan Bao Tong" was cast by Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, because this romantic son of heaven had the title of "Kaiyuan", and then "Kaiyuan Shi Sheng" was well known to the world. This is actually a misunderstanding, because "Kaiyuan" money was first minted by Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, in Wude four years ago, with the word "Bao" as its name, which was later copied by later generations. Therefore, coins minted after the Tang Dynasty are usually called "XX Bao Tong", "XX Chongbao" or "XX Yuanbao". After Tang Gaozu, Kaiyuan money was cast in the Imperial Capital, and in the late Tang Dynasty, Kaiyuan Baotong money was mainly used for casting. From then on, China's monetary system officially broke away from the two systems of Thai baht in the name of weight, and developed into Bao Tong's monetary system, which became the standard of coinage after the Tang Dynasty and lasted for nearly 1300 years.
There are a large number of Kaiyuan Bao Tong in our city's collection of cultural relics, and there are many versions, which can be divided into three stages: early, middle and late. In the early kaiyuan period, the outline was fine and the characters were exquisite. In the middle period, many decorations such as stars and the moon were cast on the back of money. Later, due to poor copper smelting and rough coinage, Huichang Kaiyuan was the representative.
Must say "Huichang Kaiyuan"
During the middle Tang Dynasty, the social economy was seriously damaged due to the "An Shi Rebellion". In order to cope with the huge military expenditure, the Tang Dynasty changed the money law many times, which led to a serious "money shortage". In addition, there are many temples everywhere, and many monks and nuns rely on government supply, which has a heavy financial burden.
In the fifth year of Huichang (AD 845), in order to reduce the financial burden, Li Yan of Tang Wuzong ordered the temple to be demolished and the Buddha statues to be burned to make money. In Huainan (now Yangzhou) Festival, Li Shen took the lead in casting and presenting a "Kaiyuan" coin with the word "Chang" on the back and the year number "Huichang". So the court ordered the counties to follow Huainan's example and cast Kaiyuan money, with the words discipline engraved on the back. These well-written "Kaiyuan Bao Tong" coins were cast in Huichang period of Tang Dynasty, so later generations called them "Huichang Kaiyuan" coins. Thus, Huichang Kaiyuan Bao Tong products came into being.
According to historical records, there are as many as 22 kinds of products in Huichang Kaiyuan, and only 2 1 kind is seen at present. If all the 22 products of Huichang Kaiyuan are collected, it will be a complete set of ancient coins, which are worth several times more than the scattered Huichang Kaiyuan. Among the Huichang Kaiyuan coins collected in Suzhou, there are 1 1 pieces. Such as: Chang, Luo, Jing, Lan, Yue, Xuan, Hong, Yan, Run, Fu, Guang and so on. Although it is not comprehensive enough, it is already very precious.
All kinds of ancient coins in the above collection not only carry the information function of currency circulation, but also have profound cultural significance in form and writing. The coin culture they formed has infinite charm and is an inexhaustible motive force to attract coin lovers to study and explore.