China Five Dynasties: Twenty Centuries of Cash Boxed Coin Collection

This retrospective collection features copper cash coins from five of the greatest Chinese dynasties. The base design of the characters around the square hole was unchanged for over 2000 years.  China is one of the world’s greatest civilizations. Among its manifold achievements are the so-called Four Great Inventions: paper, gunpowder, moveable type, and the magnetic compass. Unsurprisingly for such an advanced society, China’s sophisticated money system dates back thousands of years.  Minted for more than two millennia from copper and iron, Chinese cash coins all have easily identifiable legends, although countless varieties are to be found. From the mint names, first used regularly by the T’ang Emperors, we can trace the expansion of China. The size changes of the coins mark the periods when inflation affected the country.  HAN DYNASTY: (7 - 23 AD) The Emperor Wang Mang carried out four major reforms of the monetary system with the idea of restoring ancient institutions. He had insti