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Ant-nose Money 'Ghost face' type, without upper line
| Issuer | Chu, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 220 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Zhu |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely plain and uninscribed, presenting a flat, featureless field covered with an aged green and teal patina developed over centuries. The oval piercing at the lower end of the flan is visible from this side, consistent with the obverse perforation. Light casting striations and surface irregularities across the field attest to the primitive sand- or clay-mold casting methods employed during the Warring States period. No legends, devices, or symbols are present. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Ant-nose money — named by Western collectors for the vague facial resemblance of the incuse markings — functioned as the primary small-denomination currency of the Chu state across the middle and late Warring States period. Chu was unusual among the major states in rejecting the spade and knife coin forms favored elsewhere, instead issuing these small cast bronzes in a form that may derive from cowrie shell currency. The "ghost face" designation distinguishes this specific character configuration; the absence of the upper line marks it as a distinct casting variant, not a worn example of the lined type.