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Ant-nose Money "Ghost face" type; line below
| Issuer | State of Chu (Warring States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 220 BC |
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| Thickness | 3 mm |
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| Obverse description | A single archaic Chinese ideogram of uncertain reading, cast in raised relief across the ovoid field, evoking a stylized anthropomorphic face — the origin of the popular designation 'ghost face' (鬼脸). The upper portion of the character features two triangular elements resembling eyes, flanked by lateral strokes, while a prominent horizontal line divides the design at mid-field. Below the horizontal line, descending strokes form the lower portion of the ideogram, and at the base of the flan a small oval perforation pierces the coin, characteristic of all ant-nose money issues. The surfaces display an even olive-brown patina with malachite green encrustations consistent with ancient burial. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniface; the reverse is entirely plain and unadorned, presenting a smooth, slightly convex surface with no devices, legends, or decorative elements of any kind. The small oval perforation at the lower end of the flan passes through to this face. The surface bears a dark reddish-brown and green patina consistent with age and burial conditions typical of Warring States period bronzes. |
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| Additional information |
Ant-nose money (蚁鼻钱) takes its name from the abstract facial impression cast into the face of each piece — "ghost face" distinguishing this variety from the more common "ant-nose" type by the specific character rendered. The line below the main motif on this type is the detail that separates Hartill 1.4 from adjacent varieties, and collectors have argued for decades whether these distinctions reflect different issuing towns within Chu or simply different casting periods at the same location.
Chu's bronze cowrie surrogates circulated across the largest territorial state of the Warring States period, a polity that at its height controlled much of the Yangtze basin. They were cast in clay molds, not struck.