In the Ancient Far East Money DID Grow on Trees!

... well kinda.

I was visiting the Tokyo National Museum recently and was rather disappointed in the lack of numismatic material on display. However, one item I did come across that I thought was fascinating was this “money tree” from the Han dynasty ca. 1st - 2nd century AD. These trees are more common in the Sichuan province and so might have developed out of some older tradition specific to that region.

The trees may have been burial objects that were meant to wish the owner wealth in the next life. Pretty cool stuff.




Please feel free to post anything you want... anything at all.

Including Han coins or any interesting museum finds you’ve come across.

 

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Interesting piece. As far as I can see on your pictures there are no inscriptions on the coins, just ornaments ??

Here are some Western Han coins:



The smallest Han coin (on the right a regular Wu Zhu coin)
AE, 0.62g, 12mm
Ref.: Hartill 10.29, FD 597, S208




Snake Eye Ban Liang
175-157 BC
AE, 2.92g, 23.55mm
Ref.: Jen 990




Ban Liang with "magic cloud" on the obverse above the hole
AE, 2.72g, 23.5mm

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure I see inscriptions on most, if not all, of the coins on the tree.
Regardless, all of this is fascinating.

 

Thanks for showing the photos of the money tree, Curtisimo. I am planning to visit the Tokyo National Museum in mid-September. Will keep an eye for the tree.

 

Cool Cash Tree, @Curtisimo !
Tokyo... have you gone into other Asian countries on that trip?

Western Han


China
Western Han Dynasty
206 BCE - 25 CE
4 Zhu
Obv: Yan Xiang
Rev: Shi Zhu
Ref: Hartill 13.53 except with hanger (like H.13.57) below (unlisted)
Rare

 

Very cool!

I thought that the Tokyo museum had a complete collection of the Twelve Antique coins? Or maybe that was a different museum?

 

I recalled seeing a similar one at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Not as fancy as the Tokyo example. Here is a weblink to the money tree in SF.

https://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/artwork/money-tree-probably-100-200

 

http://primaltrek.com/moneytree.html

http://roberts.faculty.history.ucsb.edu/coins/cointree.html

 

Great coins @shanxi !

We are sticking to Japan for this trip... more to see there than is possible in the time we have anyway! Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and China are all high on our future travel list as well though.

If there was I missed them and I was actively looking for coins (much to my wife’s annoyance ). Perhaps in the Kyoto Museum? Haven’t tried there yet but I think part of the exhibits are currently closed due to remodeling.

Very cool!

Thanks Doug! Very educational links.