The Jin dynasty was a Jurchen-led dynasty of China that ruled over northern China and Manchuria from 1115 until 1234.[1] After the Jurchens defeated the Liao dynasty and the Northern Song dynasty, they would continue to use their coins for day to day usage in the conquered territories. In 1234, they were conquered by the Mongol Empire (which later evolved into the Yuan dynasty; further reading: Yuan dynasty coinage).
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History
Although the Jin dynasty had started issuing paper Jiaochao (交鈔) in 1154, they didn’t produce coins until the year 1158, prior to that coins from the preceding Liao and Song dynasties continued to circulate within Jurchen territory,[2] as well as a continuing large inflow of coins produced by the Song, this was because the territory of the Jin didn't have enough copper to meet the demand.[3][4] Jin era coins circulated alongside paper money and silver sycees, and were the main medium of exchange for the general population.
In the beginning iron coins continued to circulate but this had become to be perceived as an inconvenience so the Jin government ordered the immediate ban on melting down copper for usage other than currency, and was quick to open more copper mines to manage the production of copper coinage. 3 mints were opened that together produced 140,000 strings of coins a year (or 140,000,000 cash coins annually), after inflation had become a problem this production became less profitable for the Jin government.[5]
Coins produced by the Jin dynasty compared to earlier Liao dynasty coinage are both of higher quality, and quantity; this is because the Jurchens chose to model their coins more closely after the Song’s both in production as superficially in its calligraphic style. The Taihe Zhongbao (泰和重寶) were cast with a very special and particular style of calligraphy known as jade tendon seal script.[6]
Due to the constant Mongol invasions and high military expenditures, coins cast after 1209 had become a rarity.[7]
List of coins produced by the Jin dynasty
Coins produced by the Jurchen Jin dynasty include:[8][9]
| Inscription | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Scripts | Years of minting | Emperor | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zheng Long Yuan Bao | 正隆元寶 | 正隆元宝 | Regular script | 1158–1161 | Wanyan Liang | .jpg){kind=small} |
| Da Ding Tong Bao | 大定通寶 | 大定通宝 | Regular script | 1178–1189 | Shizong | |
| Tai He Tong Bao | 泰和通寶 | 泰和通宝 | Regular script | 1204–1209 | Zhangzong | _-_Scott_Semans.jpg) |
| Tai He Zhong Bao | 泰和重寶 | 泰和重宝 | Regular script, Seal script | 1204–1209 | Zhangzong | |
| Chong Qing Tong Bao | 崇慶通寶 | 崇庆通宝 | Regular script | 1212–1213 | Wanyan Yongji | |
| Chong Qing Yuan Bao | 崇慶元寶 | 崇庆元宝 | Regular script | 1212–1213 | Wanyan Yongji | |
| Zhi Ning Yuan Bao | 至寧元寶 | 至宁元宝 | Regular script | 1213 | Wanyan Yongji | |
| Zhen You Tong Bao | 貞祐通寶 | 贞佑通宝 | Regular script | 1213–1216 | Xuanzong | |
| Zhen You Yuan Bao | 貞祐元寶 | 贞佑元宝 | Regular script | 1213–1216 | Xuanzong |
Da Qi coinage
In 1130 during the Jin–Song Wars the Jin dynasty had set up a second puppet state called “Da Qi” (after the failed first puppet state, Da Chu), this puppet state briefly produced its own coins until it was defeated by the Song in 1137.[10][11]
Coins produced by the brief Jurchen vassal state include:
| Inscription | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Script | Emperor | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fu Chang Tong Bao | 阜昌通寶 | 阜昌通宝 | Regular script, Seal script | Liu Yu | |
| Fu Chang Yuan Bao | 阜昌元寶 | 阜昌元宝 | Regular script, Seal script | Liu Yu | |
| Fu Chang Zhong Bao | 阜昌重寶 | 阜昌重宝 | Regular script, Seal script | Liu Yu |
Eastern Xia coinage
According to information from an attempted seller, in a small coin hoard in the Russian Far East in 2011 new seven cash coins were discovered, these coins bore the inscription Dongzhen Xingbao (東眞興寶) alluding to a rebel state named Eastern Xia that was founded during the Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty.[12][13]
See also
References
Citations
Sources
- Hartill, David (September 22, 2005). Cast Chinese Coins. Trafford, United Kingdom: Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1412054669.
- Franke, Herbert; Twitchett, Denis (1994). "Introduction". In Denis C. Twitchett; Herbert Franke; John K. Fairbank (eds.). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 710–1368. Cambridge University Press. pp. 2–42. ISBN 978-0-521-24331-5.
External links
Media related to Coins of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by: Liao dynasty coinage Reason: Jurchen victory over the Khitan Liao dynasty. | Currency of Northern China 1115 – 1234 | Succeeded by: Yuan dynasty coinage Reason: Mongol conquest |