CHINESE
COINS & CURRENCY
All items guaranteed to
be genuine. I have over 30 years experience with Chinese
coins and buy only from reliable suppliers in the United States.
ANCIENT
CHINESE KNIFE COIN 
Knives were a common barter item in ancient China, but a bit
hazardous
to carry around to trade. Some of China's first coins were made to look
like a knife, so that people would think of them as money, but they
lacked a sharp blade. A hole was included for easy stringing. This
knife coin is called the "Ming" after the city where it was made (not
the dynasty that was much later). It dates from about 400BC to
225BC. It is made of bronze and is about 5 inches (13cm.)
long.
Item
CN-KNIFE CHINA, MING TYPE KNIFE COIN, Circa
400BC - 225BC Fine-VF
$60.00
FAMOUS K'AI YUAN
COIN OF THE TANG DYNASTY
The
K'ai Yuan coin was introduced by Chinese Emperor Kao Tsu, who founded
the Tang Dyansty in 618AD. The coins replaced the previously
used
Wu-Chu and other coins. The high quality of the coins and
excellent calligraphy set a standard for Chinese coins for the next
1000 years! The legend on the coin, K'ai Yuan Tung
Pao
translates as "precious currency of the K'ai Yuan
era". The
Tang Dynasty was a brilliant period in Chinese history. It
was an
era of great prosperity and artistry. The K'ai Yuan
coin
continued to be issued for the next 300 years, until the collapse of
the Dynasty in 907AD. During much of the dynasty
the coin
was the only denomination struck. Because of the relatively
low
value of the coin and the high level of commerce a LOT of the coins
were issued during that period. (Think of doing all your transactions
with only pennies!) As a result the coin, though
over 1000
years old, is still plentiful and inexpensive.
Item
CN-KAI CHINA K'AI YUAN 1 CASH COIN, (Scj.
312+) 618-907AD F-VF out
A
WORD ABOUT THE NAMES OF CHINESE EMPERORS
The
names of Chinese emperors can be confusing - because one Emperor will
have many names. Like everyone, they have personal name, but
that
is often different than their birth name. Once they become
emperor however, the emperor choses a reign title.
The
reign title is the name that appears on their coins. Some
emperors used one reign title for their entire reign. Others
would change their reign title every few years. Some reign title would
be used by more than one emperor. In addition, after an
emperor
died he was given a posthumous name, which often was long enough to
read like an entire sentence.
Adding the confusion is that there are multiple ways of translating the
same name. Most traditional English language references used
the
Wade-Giles transcription. Many recent books use the modern
Pinyin
transcription. Thus the emperor who ruled China from 1022 to
1063AD is known as Jen Tsung in the Wade-Giles transcription and Ren
Zong in the Pinyin transcription. He used nine reign titles during his
reign. His reign titles in the Wade-Giles
transcription are
T'ien-Sheng, Ming-tao, Ching-yu, Pao-yuan, K'ang-ting, Ch'ing-li,
Huang-yu, Chih-ho, and Chia-yu. In the Pinyin transcription
that
is Tian Sheng, Ming Dao, Jing You, Huang Song, Kang Ding, Huang You,
Zhi He and Jia You. His birth name (using Pinyin) was Zhao
Zhen. His Posthumous name (using Pinyin) is Emperor Titian
Fadao
Jigong Quande Shenwen Shengwu Ruizhe Mingxiao, but that is too long for
anyone to use!
For the purposes of these coins, I will usually refer to both
the
reign title that appears on the coin (as that is what is used by most
collectors of Chinese coins), and the common personal name that the
emperor is known by in the history books. I will usually
include
both the Wade-Giles and Pinyin transcription.
BEAUTIFUL
5 CASH COIN OF THE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY
The
Northern (Pei) Song (Sung) Dynasty came to power in 960AD.
China prospered under its wise Emperors and a competent and honest
civil service. In 1101 Emperor Hui Zong (Hui Tsung) came to
power. A cultured man, poet, painter and avid patron of the
arts, he spent vast sums collecting art, supporting artists, and
building a costly imperial garden. He neglected the
affairs of state. The civil service became increasingly
corrupt, the army weak, and the treasury bankrupt. The Emperor allied
himself with the increasingly powerful Jin (Chin Tarters) of Manchuria.
The Jin (Chin), then turned against him and succeeded in sacking and
destroying the weakened Song Dynasty. Hui Zong was captured,
along with most of the Imperial Court, and died in exile in Manchuria.
In 1102 Hui Zong began to issue this
attractive, large (34mm) copper 5 Cash coin. The coin had far
less copper than five one cash coins, so brought in extra revenue for
the government and disdain from its citizens In keeping with
the Emperor’s appreciation for calligraphy, the coins show his reign
title Chong Ning (Ch'ung Ning) in a script he created “Slender Gold
Style”. The reverse is blank. In keeping with Gresham's Law,
this devalued money drove the good money out of circulation which
caused a severe coin shortage. The public outcry caused the
Emperor to discontinue the coins by 1106AD. It is an
attractive coin from a cultured, but inept, Emperor.
Item
CN-S622 NORTHERN SONG 5 CASH COIN, CHONG NING
1102-1106AD Scj. 622
F-VF
$18.00
INEXPENSIVE 200
YEAR OLD MANCHU DYNASTY COIN
Ch'ien
Lung (Qianlong Emperor) was the fourth emperor of the Ch'ing (Manchu)
Dynasty, and one of the longest reigning emperors in the thousands of
years of Chinese history. His reign lasted from 1735 until
1796. His military campaigns strengthened Chinese authority
both within the Empire and over its neighbors. He created a
new province, Sinkiang Province, in north-western China, substantially
increasing the size of the Empire. He had 17 sons and 10 daughters by
his concubines. He was also a patron of the arts.
He resigned in 1796, turning the Empire over to his fifth son and died
in 1799. This brass 1 cash coin of Ch'ien Lung features the
Emperors title on one side and the mint mark on the reverse. The coins
are genuine, and despite being over 200 years old, they are quite
inexpensive. Many hundreds of millions of coins were made during his
long and prosperous reign. The coin has long been popular
with practitioners of Feng Shui and I Ching.
Item
CN-CL CHINA CH'IEN LUNG 1 CASH 1735-1796 Fine
$2.00
Item
CN-CLx3 3 COINS OF CHINA CH'IEN LUNG 1
CASH
(useful for I
Ching) Fine
$5.00
OLD COINS OF
CHINA by Holger
Jorgensen
A
small but complete identification guide book for Chinese cash coins
from
600BC
to 1912AD. Best book if you just want to identify Chinese cash
coins
by
emperor and date without going into varieties. Features line drawings
of
coins. Reprint. 26
pages
and plates. 5.5" x 8.5", softcover.
Item
BK-Jorgensen Book: OLD COINS OF CHINA by
Holger Jorgensen
$6.00
SCARCE
CHINESE BAMBOO MONEY
These unusual pieces of bamboo money were issued by the Guang Shan
Private Bank, in Suzhou China. We have three different types
available. 200 Wen dated 1895 in the Chinese cyclical
calendar, and 200 and 1000 Wen dated 1928 in the Chinese cyclical
calendar. One side has the value impressed into the
bamboo. The other side has the serial number and the name of
the bank. Each piece bears a unique serial number and is made
with a hole to make it easy to carry on string. To make sure
someone could find the bank, complete directions (inside the Chang
gate, east of the Li Sui Shi bridge, Sha Tang Blvd) are given along the
edge of the 1928 issues (in Chinese, of course). The 200 Wen pieces are
about 90.5x12mm, the 1000 Wen is about 129 x 15mm. These pieces were
discovered about 20 years ago, hidden inside a wall of a building that
was being demolished in Suzhou, and are guaranteed genuine.
Item
CN-95BAMB200 CHINA 200 WEN BAMBOO
MONEY, 1895 VF-XF
$24.00
Item CN-28BAMB200 CHINA 200 WEN BAMBOO
MONEY, 1928 XF-AU
$12.00
Item CN-285BAMB1000 CHINA 1000 WEN BAMBOO
MONEY, 1928
VF-XF
$30.00
Item CN-BAMBSET ABOVE 3 CHINESE BAMBOO MONEY
$49.75
Click Here for translation
sheet for the Chinese Bamboo Money
CHINESE
MOTHER OF PEARL GAMBLING TOKENS
These
beautiful, hand carved mother-of-pearl gambling tokens were
manufactured in China from the late 18th Century to the late 19th
Century. Most were exported to Europe where they were used in
a card games. They come a variety of shapes and sizes,
including
round, rectangular, oval and even fish-shaped.
Most are about 28mm to 55mm.
Item CHINA-MOPx1 1 CHINESE MOTHER OF PEARL
GAMBLING TOKEN
$15.00
Item CHINA-MOPx3 3 DIFFERENT CHINESE MOTHER
OF PEARL GAMBLING TOKENS
$39.75
OLD TOKEN FROM
SHANGHAI
Tong
K. Wing, a merchant in Shanghai, issued this 5 Jiao (50 Cents) token
about 1920. The 32mm aluminum token is believed to have been
issued about 1920. One side has legend “TONG K WING SHANGHAI,
CHINA” and the numeral “5” The other side has a floral
pattern. The coin grades XF for wear but has significant
tarnish.
Item
CN-TONG TONG K WING, SHANGHAI CHINA 5 JIAO
TOKEN $19.50
RARE RECTANGULAR SHANGHAI MINT
TOKENS
These
unusual rectangular tokens were used in the Shanghai mint in the
1950's. To discourage theft, regular coins were not permitted to be
used within the mint. One side has the tokens characters "VIV" and the
denomination in Chinese. The other side just has the
denomination in Chinese. The undated tokens are struck in aluminum.
Chinese government factories were numbered, but this factory wanted to
disguise itself. VIV is not the Roman numerals for 515, but it is VI +
I + IV = 614 which is the number of the Shanghai Mint state
factory. The 3 token set includes the 1 Fen, 5 Fen and 1
Jiao.
Item
CN-SHANG-SET3 SHANGHAI MINT 3 TOKEN SET 1 FEN - 1 JIAO
VF $20.00
Item
CN-SHANG-1FEN SHANGHAI MINT 1 FEN TOKEN FROM THE ABOVE SET
VF $6.00
WORLD WAR II
CHINESE CURRENCY
Reduced
size images
In July 1937
Japan began a
full scale invasion of China. Japanese forces quickly took
Peking
(Beijing) and Shanghai. In December the Japanese conquered
the capital
city of Nanking, and engaged in a campaign of mass murder and
rape.
Rather than surrender, the Chinese retreated and moved their capital to
the remote city of Chungking (now Chongqing) in south-west
China. The
1940 red 10 Yuan and purple 100 Yuan notes were issued by the
Nationalist Chinese government's Bank of China in Chungking.
Both notes feature Sun
Yat Sen, the founding father of the Republic of China on the
front.
The back pictures the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The notes
were
printed by the American Banknote Company and are in Chinese on the
front, English on the back. The 100 Yuan note is overprinted
"Chungking" in English on the back, and in Chinese on the front.
Item
PM-CN-10Y CHINA 10 YUAN NOTE, 1940 P85
F-VF out
Item
PM-CN-100Y CHINA 100 YUAN NOTE, 1940 P88c
F-VF $7.50
WORLD WAR II
JAPANESE MILITARY CURRENCY USED IN CHINA
Reduced
size images
issued Military
Currency for use in
Hong Kong
and areas of
China
that
they occupied starting in 1938. Because civilians were forced
to
accept the Military Yen, which was not backed and could not be
exchanged into Japanese Yen, it cost the Japanese government virtually
nothing to purchase whatever they wanted. The initial issues of
Military currency were created by taking partially completed Japanese
homeland notes and overprinting them on the front and back with four
large red characters that read "Military Note". The 100 Yen Japanese
Military
note was issued in 1945 for use in Hong Kong. It was the
highest
denomination military currency issued by Japan. The note, apparently
printed in Hong Kong, utilized the basic design of the 1944 Japanese
homeland 100 Yen note, however with modified legends on the back and
the front has the "Military Currency" overprint. The 100 Yen
note
is in Uncirculated condition.
Item
PM-CN-M100Y JAPANESE MILITARY CURRENCY FOR
HONG KONG 100 YEN 1945 PM30 UNC. $9.00
JAPANESE
OCCUPATION OF MANCHUKUO
In 1931 Japan invaded the three north-eastern provinces of China and
set up the nominally independent nation of Manchukuo. A puppet
government was set up under P’u-Yi, the former Emperor of China, as
“Chief Executive”. He adopted the reign title Ta T’ung. In 1934 the
Japanese raised his title to that of Emperor of Manchukuo. A new reign
title, K’ang Te, was adopted, though the basic design of the coins
remained unchanged. We offer coins issued under both reign titles. The
bronze 1 Fen features the flag of Manchukuo on one side and floral
sprays on the other. The copper-nickel 1 Chiao (10 Fen) depicts a pair
of dragons on one side and a lotus flower on the other. The 1 Fen
grades VF, the 1 Chiao grades Fine.
Item
MAN-TT-SET2 MANCHUKUO 1 FEN & 1 CHIAO
TA T’UNG 1933-34 Y2 & Y4 F-VF out
Item
MAN-KT-SET2 MANCHUKUO 1 FEN & 1 CHIAO
K'ANG TE 1934-39 Y6 & Y8 F-VF $9.75
UNUSUAL FIBER
COIN FROM WWII JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF CHINA
Manchukuo
was a Japanese puppet state carved out of Northeastern China prior to
World War II. Due to a severe metal shortage towards the end of the
war, it issued this unusual 1 Fen coin struck in a red cardboard-like
material rather than metal. The coin is dated in the twelfth year of
the reign of Emperor Kang Te of Manchukuo. Kang Te was formerly known
as Pu Yi, who was the last Emperor of China until he was deposed in
1911. The Japanese used him as the figurehead leader for Manchukuo. The
coin was struck only a single year; 1945. This historic World War II
coin is one of the few circulating non-metallic coins of the century.
Item
MAN-1F45 MANCHUKUO 1 FEN 1945 Y13a F-VF $10.00
MENG CHIANG
JAPANESE PUPPET BANK
During
the 1930's Japan conquered much of Northern China. The Meng
Chiang Bank was a puppet bank established by the Japanese to provide
currency for the area between Mongolia and Manchukuo, known as Inner
Mongolia. In 1938 the Bank issued its only coin: a
copper-nickel 5 Chiao. One side of the coin features a pair of stylized
dragons and the denomination. The other side has a
floral design.
Item
MENG521 MENG CHIANG BANK 5 CHIAO 1938 (KM521)
VF-XF $10.00
COIN
SET FROM THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
This
unpackaged five coin set from The People's
Republic of China
includes the 1, 2 and 5 Fen, 1 and 5 Jiao dating from 1987 to
1996. One side of the coins show the national emblem
featuring
the Tiananmen Gate and the entrance to The Forbidden City. The
Forbidden City was the former Imperial Palace that was closed to the
public. It is now a vast museum and a major tourist
attraction. Above the gate are 5 stars. The reverse
of the
coins features the denomination. All 5 coins are Uncirculated.
Item
CN-SET5 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA COIN
SET $3.00
CHINESE
SILVER PANDAS
China continued their acclaimed silver Panda series with this
attractive 2016 issue. Each year features a different design
featuring a cute giant Panda. The 2017 issue depicts a panda
holding its favorite food - a bamboo branch. The obverse
features the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, a Taoist temple complex
constructed in the early 1400's. Starting in 2016 China went "metric"
with the Panda, changing the weight from 1 troy ounce (31.1035 grams)
to 30 trams. All the coins are struck in .999 fine silver,
has a nominal value of 10 Yuan. The Brilliant Uncirculated 40mm coin
comes in a protective capsule. We also have some previous issues in
this popular series.
Item
CN-PANDA17 CHINA 10 YUAN 2017 SILVER PANDA, 30 GRAMS BU
$30.00
Item
CN-PANDA16 CHINA 10 YUAN 2016 SILVER PANDA, 30 GRAMS BU
$30.00
Item
CN-PANDA15 CHINA 10 YUAN 2015 SILVER PANDA, 1 TROY OUNCE BU
$33.00
Also see:
COINS OF TIBET
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The
K'ai Yuan coin was introduced by Chinese Emperor Kao Tsu, who founded
the Tang Dyansty in 618AD. The coins replaced the previously
used
Wu-Chu and other coins. The high quality of the coins and
excellent calligraphy set a standard for Chinese coins for the next
1000 years! The legend on the coin, K'ai Yuan Tung
Pao
translates as "precious currency of the K'ai Yuan
era". The
Tang Dynasty was a brilliant period in Chinese history. It
was an
era of great prosperity and artistry. The K'ai Yuan
coin
continued to be issued for the next 300 years, until the collapse of
the Dynasty in 907AD. During much of the dynasty
the coin
was the only denomination struck. Because of the relatively
low
value of the coin and the high level of commerce a LOT of the coins
were issued during that period. (Think of doing all your transactions
with only pennies!) As a result the coin, though
over 1000
years old, is still plentiful and inexpensive.
The
Northern (Pei) Song (Sung) Dynasty came to power in 960AD.
China prospered under its wise Emperors and a competent and honest
civil service. In 1101 Emperor Hui Zong (Hui Tsung) came to
power. A cultured man, poet, painter and avid patron of the
arts, he spent vast sums collecting art, supporting artists, and
building a costly imperial garden. He neglected the
affairs of state. The civil service became increasingly
corrupt, the army weak, and the treasury bankrupt. The Emperor allied
himself with the increasingly powerful Jin (Chin Tarters) of Manchuria.
The Jin (Chin), then turned against him and succeeded in sacking and
destroying the weakened Song Dynasty. Hui Zong was captured,
along with most of the Imperial Court, and died in exile in Manchuria.
OLD COINS OF
CHINA by Holger
Jorgensen
Click Here for translation
sheet for the Chinese Bamboo Money
These
beautiful, hand carved mother-of-pearl gambling tokens were
manufactured in China from the late 18th Century to the late 19th
Century. Most were exported to Europe where they were used in
a card games. They come a variety of shapes and sizes,
including
round, rectangular, oval and even fish-shaped.
Most are about 28mm to 55mm. 
Tong
K. Wing, a merchant in Shanghai, issued this 5 Jiao (50 Cents) token
about 1920. The 32mm aluminum token is believed to have been
issued about 1920. One side has legend “TONG K WING SHANGHAI,
CHINA” and the numeral “5” The other side has a floral
pattern. The coin grades XF for wear but has significant
tarnish. 
These
unusual rectangular tokens were used in the Shanghai mint in the
1950's. To discourage theft, regular coins were not permitted to be
used within the mint. One side has the tokens characters "VIV" and the
denomination in Chinese. The other side just has the
denomination in Chinese. The undated tokens are struck in aluminum.
Chinese government factories were numbered, but this factory wanted to
disguise itself. VIV is not the Roman numerals for 515, but it is VI +
I + IV = 614 which is the number of the Shanghai Mint state
factory. The 3 token set includes the 1 Fen, 5 Fen and 1
Jiao. 
Manchukuo
was a Japanese puppet state carved out of Northeastern China prior to
World War II. Due to a severe metal shortage towards the end of the
war, it issued this unusual 1 Fen coin struck in a red cardboard-like
material rather than metal. The coin is dated in the twelfth year of
the reign of Emperor Kang Te of Manchukuo. Kang Te was formerly known
as Pu Yi, who was the last Emperor of China until he was deposed in
1911. The Japanese used him as the figurehead leader for Manchukuo. The
coin was struck only a single year; 1945. This historic World War II
coin is one of the few circulating non-metallic coins of the century. 
During
the 1930's Japan conquered much of Northern China. The Meng
Chiang Bank was a puppet bank established by the Japanese to provide
currency for the area between Mongolia and Manchukuo, known as Inner
Mongolia. In 1938 the Bank issued its only coin: a
copper-nickel 5 Chiao. One side of the coin features a pair of stylized
dragons and the denomination. The other side has a
floral design. 
