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!
Ant-nose money Jin, type 2
| Issuer | Chu, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 220 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 | Cast primitive Chinese ideogram 伒 (Jin, a unit of weight) rendered in raised relief at the center of the oval field, executed in the archaic script style characteristic of the Warring States period. The character occupies the majority of the obverse face, with the strokes appearing bold and slightly irregular due to the casting process. A small perforation hole is present at the lower end of the piece, a defining feature of ant-nose money. The green patina typical of ancient Chinese bronzes covers the surface. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| 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 | ND (400 BC - 220 BC) |
| Additional information |
Ant-nose coins — named by Western collectors for the facial resemblance visible in the cast relief — were the primary small-denomination currency of the Chu state throughout the Warring States period. Chu was unusual among the major states in never adopting the knife or spade currencies dominant in the north, instead developing this distinctive oval cast form that has no direct parallel elsewhere in Chinese monetary history. The type 2 designation in Hartill's classification distinguishes specific inscription variants, as the characters cast onto these pieces remain disputed among scholars — some read them as denominational, others as mint or clan marks.