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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 | 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 | Knife |
| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 明 (Translation: Ming) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ? - 2 g: Wen Wen - ? - 2a: Ba Wan - ? - 2b: Qian Wan - ? - 2c?: ?Xing - ? - 2d: Shi Ding - ? - 2e: Da Shi - ? - 2f: Da Zuo - ? - 2h: Yi Xing - ? - 2i: Qi Xing - ? - 2j: Shi Xing - ? - 2k: Ershi Yi Xing - ? - 2l-y:Undeciphered - ? - 6a-d: Nei - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1 g: 九 (Jiu; nine) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1a: 一 (Yi; one) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1aa: (Xia) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1ab: (Xing) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1ac: (Yi) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1ad: (You) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1ae: (Yu; two forms) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1af-bh: Undeciphered single character - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1b: 二 (Er; two) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1c: 五 (Wu; five) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1d: 六 (Liu; six) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1e: 七 (Qi; seven) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1f: 八 (Ba; eight) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1h: 十 (Shi; ten) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1i: 十一 (Shi Yi; eleven) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1j: (Shi ?) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1k: (Shi Bi) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1l: (Bei) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1m: (Bei) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1n: (Bi; three forms) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1o: (Chang) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1p: (Da; two forms) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1q: (Ding) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1r: (Gong) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1s: (Jin) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1t: (Qian) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1u: (Ri) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1v: (Tu) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1w: (Wan) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1x: (Wang) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1y: (Wen) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 1z: (Wu) - ND (401 BC - 220 BC) - 4w: 右午 (You Wu) - |
| 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.