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Ming Knife
| Issuer | State of Yan |
|---|---|
| Year | 401 BC - 220 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Knife money (601-400 BC) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse presents the broad, slightly curved blade of the knife money, bearing a single Chinese ideogram (明, Ming) cast in relief within the upper field of the blade. The blade widens toward the back edge and tapers to a straight cutting edge, with three raised parallel ribs running longitudinally along the lower shank. The handle terminates in a circular ring, a characteristic feature of Ming knife coinage, and the entire surface exhibits the typical patination of cast bronze from the Warring States period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
Yan was the northernmost of the Warring States, perpetually pressed by nomadic incursions along its steppe frontier and chronically short of the resources that fueled the richer southern kingdoms. Its knife money persisted long after most rival states had transitioned to cast spade or round coinage — a conservative monetary choice that likely reflects Yan's geographic isolation as much as any official policy. The state finally fell to Qin in 222 BC, just two years before unification extinguished every regional currency at once.