The dynasty in which copper coins appeared

Copper coins were first cast in the late Shang Dynasty and early Western Zhou Dynasty in BC 1 1 century.

Centuries earlier than the Lydia coin in Asia Minor, which was once considered as the earliest metal coin in the world. Therefore, the bronze shell of Shang Dynasty can be well-deserved called "the earliest metal coin of mankind".

The copper shell, as its name implies, is a kind of copper coin made by imitating shells. The most representative thing is that it has a shell tooth in the middle of the front. According to whether there are words on its surface, it can be divided into copper cladding and copper cladding. Materials are decibels, copper and so on. The shape of the casting is very similar to that of the real shellfish, and the volume is small, which is convenient for circulation and carrying. After Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, he abolished all kinds of currencies in the six countries and uniformly minted and issued half a penny.

Copper-free copper shell

The unwritten copper shell is made of copper and imitates the appearance of shells. Generally, it is 33 mm long, 23 mm wide and weighs 6-7 grams. It is made by a foundry, with scalloped lips on an empty stomach and a tooth pattern on each side. The number of tooth profiles is 9- 14 pairs.

Mainly in the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period, Sanjin, Shandong were cast in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River according to Zuo Zhuan. Ding Gong four years "Qilu area. There are "six tribes of Yin people". According to the location of Huixian County, Henan Province, the northern part of Henan Province was originally the land of Shang Dynasty, and the Records of Geography in Hanshu is one of the settlements of "Yin adherents". It can be seen that these areas have profound cultural traditions, so it can also be seen that the main currency of the Shang Dynasty is the Northern Currency.