We are heading back to Asia this month for my latest addition to my collection. China more specifically.
The piece I got this month is something I have only ever managed to see in museums or in books. However, I got lucky and through some of my contacts found someone willing to sell on an example from their own collection.
From the picture above you can see a Huo Bu (money spade) from the reign of the emperor Wang Mang (9-23AD). Now, this is not the first time I have acquired a coin from this Chinese emperor, and I have written briefly about his reign in a previous blog post back in January last year (Here). So I won’t regurgitate anything in this post. So I would like to explore spade coins in general.
Chinese spade coins were first made during the Zhou dynasty (~1045 – 256 BC) and resembled a small spade or weeding tool often used by the people as an alternative form of currency. The original spade coins would have a hollow handle at the top of the coin, representative of the wooden handle you would insert.
Towards the later period of the Zhou dynasty, the legs would be less pointed and early forms of Chinese characters would start to appear on the coins. Further changes would happen during the warring states period (475- 221 BC). Each of the individual states would start producing their own spade coins, and they would become much smaller and would no longer have the hollow handle at the top. Different shapes would also begin to be produced, with examples known to exist including arched feet, rounded feet, and coins with three holes (Pictures and examples of which cane be found here).
After Emperor Qin Shi Huang has conquered the warring states in 221 BC he replaced spade coins with the titular round coins with square holes many of us are familiar with and associate with in regards to ancient Chinese coins. This would continue until we reach our reoccurring blog favourite, Wang Mang. When he became emperor he reissued spade coins, in an attempt to impose some legitimacy to his dynasty after he usurped the throne and forge a link with previous dynasties. The spade coins by this time had proven to be unpopular however despite several different types being cast and issued. Round coins were ultimately reintroduced shortly afterwards, and the spade coin was resigned to it’s place in Chinese numismatic history.
Numismatic Exploits 