The following story is fictitious. The names used in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to real facts or real people is truly coincidental. Once upon a time before money, in the form of coins, began circulating throughout China, tools and grain were the ideal trade mediums. Axes, hoes, rakes, pitch forks, knives and spades were tendered as payment for goods (clothes, shoes, hats, etc.), rent, farm animals (cattle, goats, horses, oxen), pets (cats, dogs, gold fish and birds), wagons, fertile acreage, food, wine, furniture, and weapons. Since regular-sized tools were heavy, bulky and required a lot of room to store or transport, a Chinese spade producer logically decided that a small version of a tool would make an easier trade (swap) item, especially if the minature tool represented a real full-sized tool. For instance, if Wei Chong made or owned ninety-nine real full-sized spades, and gave you a minature spade that you, or anyone you gave it to, could exchange with him at any time in the future for a full-sized spade, the miniature spade becomes a form of money. Wei Chong could pay the minature spade to a green grocer for some of her produce; she could tender it to a tailor for a head covering, an apron and a pair of gloves; the clothier could give it to a farmer for a cord of firewoodl the farmer could take it to Wei Chong for the real full-sized spade. Wei Chong's son, Chou took over the business after Wei Chong's death. Chou noticed the Spade Money was cumbersum to handle if a person had more than one piece. An idea slowly formed in his mind guiding him to make all the handles of his Spade Money hollow so they could be strung together making it easier to transport. That idea made Chou Chong's Spade Money more popular. Every once in a while, Chou Chong noticed a redeemed Spade Money piece was different from his own product. Upon the advice of a friend, Chou Chong inscribed his name, on each Spade Money piece along with his location. Now, he wouldn't accept another's Spade Money as if it was his own. Further, to cut down on the need to string Spade Money units together, Chou Chong inscribed amounts of worth on his Spade Money (i.e., 2, 3, or 5 Spade) When China began minting cash coinage Chou Chong followed the government's lead and changed his inscriptions to denominal values such as 1 Cash, 2 Cash, 5 Cash, 10 Cash, 20 Cash, 50 Cash or 100 Cash on each piece of Spade Money. As you see the topic today is Spade Money which circulated throughout the Shantung Peninsula and provinces South of the Yellow River Valley in China. The first Chinese Spade Money was produced circa 1200-800 BC. Here's a photo of an early Spade Money piece without inscriptions courtesy of British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=k136986.jpg&retpage=17220 The earliest Spade Money, with inscriptions, was issued by the Royal House of Zhou in the late 7th century or early 6th century B.C. Within 300 years most bordering provinces issued Spade Money which circulated in each issuers resident province right along with government coinage. To insure acceptance throughout their territory, each issuer created a different form of a spade and inscribed it with his personal or business name name and locale. Here's photos of a few inscribed Spade Money pieces courtesy of Galgary Coin and Antique Gallery. Scroll down to "HOLLOW HANDLED SPADES OF THE STATE OF ZHOU." (about 20-25%): http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china1.htm#zhou I do have an ulterior motive for telling you about the ancient Chinese Spade Money to introduce you to a more modern Chinese coinage bearing an image of Spade Money. That coinage includes the Cent/s (Fen) coins minted during the 1930's and 1940s. The denominations range from 1/2 Cent (1/2 Fen) in bronze, 1 Cent (1 Fen) in brass or copper, 2 Cents (2 Fen) in brass, 5 Cents (5 Fen) in aluminum, copper-nickel or nickel, 10 Cents (1 Chiao) in copper-nickel or nickel, 20 Cents (20 Fen) in copper-nickel or nickel and 50 Cents (1/.2 Yuan) in copper-nickel. I couldn't find photos of all dates or denominations, but did locate some photos courtesy of Don's World Coin Gallery: 1940 1 Cent: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri... Fen) 29(1940)&query=China Republic (cent,fen) 1948 1 Cent: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...nt (1 Fen) 37(1948)&query=China Republic cent 1940- 1941 2 Cents: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...9-30(1940-41)&query=China Republic (cents,fen) 1936-39 5 Cents: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...en) 25-28(1936-39)&query=China Republic cents 1940 5 Cents: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...s (5 Fen) 29(1940)&query=China Republic cents 1936-1939 20 Cents: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...en) 25-28(1936-39)&query=China Republic cents 1942-1943 50 Cents: http://worldcoingallery.com/countri...an) 31-32(1942-43)&query=China Republic cents Please let me know if you enjoyed this post... Clinker
Very good write up! Let me share my spade with you State of Zhao, Lin mint 350-250 BC AE Spade money – 27mm x 45mm Hartill 3.331 Ex C. B. Dodge Collection
Fictitious or not great post, fun title, and some neat images here, Clinker! And Ardatirion, thanks for adding your "spade" ... Christian
