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Ant-nose Money Jun
| Issuer | Chu, State of |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 220 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Ant-nose money (401-220 BC) |
| 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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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | 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 | 君 (Translation: Jun) |
| Reverse description | Uniface reverse, presenting a plain, undecorated cast surface with no devices, legends, or inscriptions of any kind. The surface exhibits a granular, pitted texture typical of ancient sand-cast bronze, with pronounced blue-green patination across the entire field. The oval perforation in the lower portion is visible in continuity through the flan. The beveled edges visible on this face confirm the characteristic wedge-shaped cross-section of ant-nose money produced by the State of Chu. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Ant-nose money (蚁鼻钱) takes its name from the raised markings on the face, which later observers likened to an ant perched on a nose — though the characters themselves are almost certainly derived from cowrie shell inscriptions, reflecting the direct lineage from shell currency that these bronzes replaced in the Chu economy. The state of Chu was notably resistant to the spade and knife coinages dominant elsewhere in the Warring States period, maintaining this distinctive facial form for roughly two centuries while its rivals standardized toward flat, handled types.