Coinage of Asia
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The coinage of Asia began in China, India and Lydia roughly around the same time. Chinese cash coinage were issued only in base coins from the Zhou period of China until 1912, when the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. coinage of India began in the 7th century BCE by smaller native states known as the Mahajanapadas. The most famous ruler, Ashoka the Great of the Maurya Empire of India, issued coins of silver. The Persian coinage of the Achaemenid Empire and Greek coinage are based on the Lydian coinage of the 6th century BCE. The Persians issued silver Siglos and gold Darics. The coinage of other parts of the Middle East, such as Egypt, are based on Greek coinage. Many other nations adopted coinage either from Chinese, Indian or Lydian coinage (such as Kushan coins or Khmer coins).
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[edit] Cash coinage
[edit] China
Cash or base metal coins of the various Chinese Empires was first believed to be issued in the 7th century. Before what numismatists call true money was issued, cowrie shells and replicas as well as Bridge Dragon money filled the need as a barter exchange.
The first issues weren't coins like those we know today but were replicas of hoes issued by mints or states that we don't know much about. Then came the knife currency; both hoe money and knife money were issued in large and small sizes. They were also from study issued at different times and in different places, but who issued them is a mystery. Numismatists and archaeologists don't believe that the Zhou royal family had much to do with their issuance. The stylized bronze hoes and knives were followed by cast discs of bronze, the pieces of Chinese wen, that were customarily strung together with hempen threads into strings of Chinese cash. These strings of bronze discs, interacting with paper money, were the commodity currency of China for 2,000 years.
It was only since the direct contact with European traders that silver coins were used1, slowly replacing the Sycee system of weighing silver and gold.
[edit] India
The first Indian coins were either round, square or long sticks of silver with punch marks issued under various kingdoms starting from around 600 BCE onwards. Issuers included Kashi, Kosala, the Magadha Empire, Kuru, Panchala, Taxila, Gandhara, Kamboja, Avanti in the Narbada Valley, Saurashtra Peninsula, and the Eastern Deccan. The first coins issued by a unified Indian empire was from the Maurya Empire, though they were similar to the older issues. During the 4th century BC, after Alexander the Great's conquest of the Indus Valley and Punjab region, the Greek currency Drachma was introduced and was carried on by Bactria, Indo-Scythians and Kushans. All these were of the Attica weight standard.
[edit] Japan
These coins were called Mon in Japanese, and were based on the Chinese coinage system. The first issue was proberly around the year 672 CE during the reign of Empirer Temmu. The coins from this date are very rare and unique in having chinese characters on the obverse and wavy lines on the reverse. Chinese coins also circulated in Japan.
[edit] Korea
Issues based on the Chinese wen were issued from 1888-1892 of 1Warn = 1000Mun or cash. Replaces in 1892 with 1Warn = 5 Yang.
[edit] Amman
Early Vietnamese coins were based on the chinese cash coinage, mostly imitations at first then issued with chinese characters but in Vietnamese.
[edit] Indonesian states
These coins were mainly issued by the Hakka based GonSi and Islamic sultunates all over the Indonesian archipelago who minted coins based mainly on the chinese cash coinage.
[edit] Funan, Dvaravat and Khmer Empires
Not much is known of the currency of the Funan, Dvaravati, Chenla or Kambuja in Cambodia and the Khmer Empire from 100-1370 CE. The origin of the coins were based on ancient Indian coinage that has been more stylised over the millennia. Funan and Dvaravat coins were silver and bronze or brass. Khmer coins were made of lead and came in 3 weights, 1unit, 3unit and 6unit, a 10unit coin may exist but is debatable. There is not much variation to these coins when compared to Indian coinage, Roman coinage or Greek coins.
[edit] See also
[edit] References and external links
The coins and history of Asia. T.K.Mallon-Mc Corgray, July 1996.
Retrieved 25 January 2006.
