Chinese Coins

Coins made of gold, silver and bronze have been used as currency throughout history. In western and central Asia as well as the Mediterranean region, round gold and silver coins were produced in ancient times. The majority of historical coins from China, however, are made of bronze and exhibit unique shapes.

Chinese bronze coins developed during the Spring and Autumn / Warring States period (8th - 3rd centuries BC), and were produced in a variety of shapes. Round bronze coins with a square hole in the centre came into usage during the Qin and Han dynasties (3rd century BC - 3rd century AD), and remained in use until the modern period.

This thematic display centres around Chinese bronze coins from the Spring and Autumn period to the Han dynasty, and the molds used for minting them. Also featured are coins representative of each dynasty from the Tang (618-907 AD) to the Qing (1644-1912) periods, giving an overview of Chinese currency from early times until the beginning of the 20th century.