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Yuan Liu Hua Ailiuhua
| Issuer | State of Qi (Warring States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 220 BC |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 9 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain reverse with a smooth, undecorated field enclosed by a raised outer rim and a raised inner rim surrounding the central square perforation. No inscriptions, symbols, or decorative elements are present. The surface exhibits an extensive mottled green and blue-grey patination characteristic of ancient Chinese cast bronze coinage recovered from burial contexts. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Qi was one of the wealthiest of the Warring States, and its knife money tradition ran longer and more consistently than most rival states. The liu hua — "six-character" — knives represent a late phase of Qi knife coinage, likely produced in the final century before Qin's unification campaign rendered all regional currency obsolete. When Qin Shi Huang standardized the monetary system after 221 BC, knife money across all former states was demonetized by imperial decree, making continued circulation impossible almost overnight.