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Ant-nose Money Jin, type 1
| Issuer | Chu, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 220 BC |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Uniface cast bronze piece of ovoid form bearing a single archaic Chinese ideogram in raised relief within the field. The character 金 (jin, meaning 'metal' or 'gold') is rendered in a bold, stylized Chu script, occupying the majority of the obverse surface. The raised legend appears centrally positioned, with the surrounding field showing the characteristic irregular casting texture of Warring States-period bronze currency. The overall design is primitive and utilitarian, consistent with the ant-nose money (yibiqian) tradition of the Chu state. |
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| Reverse description | Plain, unworked reverse surface with no design, legend, or decorative element, confirming the uniface nature of this cast bronze issue. The surface retains natural casting irregularities and patination consistent with ancient bronze monetary objects of the Warring States period. |
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| Additional information |
Ant-nose money — named by modern collectors for the facial markings that give the cast bronze its nickname — circulated throughout the Chu state during a period when the surrounding Zhou-vassal states were increasingly standardizing toward spade and knife coinage. Chu resisted that convergence entirely, maintaining its own currency tradition well into the Warring States period. The characters cast into this type remain debated; some scholars read them as a value denomination, others as a mint or workshop identifier.
Hartill's type 1 designation reflects the most commonly encountered facial configuration, though die variation within the series is substantial.