Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Jin
| Issuer | Han, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 250 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Flat-handle square-foot spade money (fang zu bu) of the Warring States period, cast in bronze with a characteristic trapezoidal shoulder and bifurcated flat foot. A prominent vertical rib divides the body of the spade into two panels, within which archaic Chinese characters are cast in low relief identifying the denomination and place of issue. The inscription 涅金 (Nie Jin) appears across the two panels, with the character 涅 exhibiting a curved radical variant (as per Hartill 3.170) or a straight radical variant (Hartill 3.171). The entire design is contained within a raised border following the outline of the spade form, and the surface displays a rich olive-green patina with traces of cuprite red. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain reverse of the flat-handle square-foot spade, displaying the characteristic bifurcated foot and raised vertical central rib running the full length of the flan. The surface is unadorned, bounded by a raised rim that follows the spade outline, and exhibits a mottled patina of deep olive-green overlaid with areas of red cuprite, consistent with ancient burial corrosion typical of Warring States bronze currency. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Jin states were among the earliest adopters of spade money as a currency form, and Han's square-footed spades emerged from the political fragmentation that followed the formal partition of Jin into Han, Wei, and Zhao in 403 BC. The 1 Jin denomination sits within a system where value was expressed through weight and casting quality rather than any centralized minting authority — production was distributed across foundries tied to local administrative centers.
Hartill distinguishes 3.170 and 3.171 by inscription variants, a reminder that these are cast rather than struck pieces, meaning die uniformity was never achievable and legend rendering shifted foundry to foundry.