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Qi knife Qi Fa Hua
| Issuer | State of Qi |
|---|---|
| Year | 401 BC - 220 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Bronze (0.54 Cu; 0.38 Pb; 0.08 Sn) |
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| Obverse description | Cast bronze knife-shaped currency of the State of Qi, featuring a broad, slightly curved blade with a raised rim along all edges. The obverse field bears three Chinese characters in archaic seal script reading 齊法化 (Qi Fa Hua, meaning 'Qi legal currency'), arranged vertically along the blade face. A single subsidiary character appears in the lower portion of the blade, varying by die variety and serving as a mint or batch control mark. The blade tapers toward a angled tip at the upper end and connects via a short shank to a circular loop handle at the base, the latter cast integrally with the piece. The patina is a deep olive-brown with areas of malachite green encrustation characteristic of long-buried Zhou dynasty bronzes. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The "Qi Fa Hua" inscription on these large knife coins has been interpreted as a place name, a mint designation, or a monetary authority mark — numismatists have not reached consensus, and the debate remains active. What is certain is that the State of Qi maintained one of the most sophisticated bronze knife currency systems in the Warring States period, with knife money circulating as a genuine medium of exchange rather than a ceremonial object. Qi's coastal position and control of salt revenues made it among the wealthiest of the seven major states.
Production likely spanned multiple generations of craftsmen working from clay piece-molds, which accounts for the considerable variation in weight and casting quality seen across the type.