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Not an Ordinary Hoard: The Coins in the Hejiacun Treasure

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The Language and Iconography of Chinese Charms
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Abstract

When money is issued by the state, it is closely associated with a particular historic and economic context. A change of dynasty can very quickly transform certain forms of money into cultural relics. Before the introduction of paper money and banks, money was made of precious materials, usually into beautiful forms. There was an aesthetic quality to money, and sometimes pieces would be removed from circulation as collectors’ items. Removed from circulation, old forms of money convey aspects of earlier cultures. This is particularly true of archaeological finds, because the excavation context—details of the site, environment and associated objects—add enormously to their research value.

Translated by Yao Wen-hao 么文浩 and partially edited by Helen Wang .

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Notes

  1. 1.

    《舊唐書 · 玄宗本紀 》: 先天二年 (西元713年) 九月乙卯, 玄宗 “宴王公百僚于承天門, 令左右於樓下撒金錢 , 許中書門下五品以上官及諸司三品以上官爭拾之, 仍賜物有差。”

  2. 2.

    杜甫 : 《曲江對雨 》: “何時詔此金錢會, 暫醉佳人錦瑟傍。 ”

  3. 3.

    張祜 : 《退宮人 》: “開元皇帝掌中憐, 流落人間二十年。長說承天門上宴, 百僚樓下拾金錢 。”

  4. 4.

    五代王仁裕 《開元天寶遺事 · 卷二 · 戲擲金錢 》: “內廷嬪妃, 每至春時, 各於禁中結伴, 三人至五人擲金錢 為戲, 蓋孤悶無所譴也。”

  5. 5.

    駱天驤 《類編長安志 》 引 《開元別記 》: “明皇與妃子在花萼樓下擲金錢 , 以遠近為線, 賽其元擲於地者, 以金觥為賞, 今裡巷猶效之。”

  6. 6.

    王仁裕 《開元天寶遺事 · 卷三 》: “明皇未得妃子, 宮中嬪妃輩, 投金錢賭侍帝寢 , 以親者為勝, 召入妃子, 遂罷此戲。”

  7. 7.

    于皓 《江南曲 》: “偶向江邊采白頻, 還隨女伴賽江神。眾中不敢分明語, 暗擲金錢蔔遠人 。”

  8. 8.

    《資治通鑒 · 卷二一六 · 唐天寶十載 》: “祿山生日, 上及貴妃賜衣服、寶器、酒饌甚厚。後三日, 召祿山入禁中, 貴妃以錦繡為大繈褓, 裹祿山, 使宮人以采輿舁之。上聞後宮歡笑, 問其故, 左右以貴妃三日洗祿兒對。上自往觀之。喜 , 賜貴妃洗兒 金銀錢 。”

  9. 9.

    韓渥 《金鑾密記 》: 天複二年 (西元902年) 唐昭宗在岐州時, 皇女誕生三日, “賜洗兒果子、金銀錢 、銀葉坐 、金銀錠子 。”

  10. 10.

    《唐會要 · 卷八十三 · 嫁娶 · 建中元年十一月十六日條 》.

  11. 11.

    洪遵 《泉志 · 卷十五 · 厭勝品 》: “撒帳錢 , 舊譜曰:徑寸、重六銖、肉好, 背面皆有周郭。其形五出, 穿亦隨之, 文曰: ‘長命守富貴 ’; 背面皆為五出, 文若角錢狀。景龍中, 中宗出降睿宗女荊山公主, 特鑄此錢,用以撤帳 , 敕近臣及修文館學士拾錢, 其銀錢 則散貯絹中, 金錢 每十文即系一彩絛。”

  12. 12.

    《續日本記 》: “元明天皇和銅元年二月, 始置催鑄錢司。夏五月, 始行銅 (郭沫若雲: 銀之誤) 錢 。秋七月, 令近江國鑄銅錢 , 八月行銅錢。” “二年秋八月, 廢銀錢 , 行銅錢。”

  13. 13.

    《新唐書 · 食貨志 》: “租 , 每丁每年納粟二石或稻三石; 調 , 隨鄉土所產,每丁每年納絹二匹, 二丈, 綿三兩, 布加五分之一, 麻三斤, 非蠶鄉納銀十四兩; 庸 , 每丁每年服役二十日, 閏月加二日, 如不服役, 每日納絹三尺。”

  14. 14.

    It is generally estimated that a total of 105 pieces of silver bars, cakes, and plaques have been found in 10 different locations across China. The Hejiacun Findings account for 85.71 % of the total find.

  15. 15.

    “懷集縣開十庸銀拾兩 , 專當官令王文樂、典陳友、匠高童。”

  16. 16.

    “洊安縣開元十九年庸調銀拾兩 , 專知 官彭崇嗣、典梁海、匠王定。”

  17. 17.

    《唐六典 · 卷二十 · 左藏令務 》: “凡天下賦調先於輸場, 簡其合尺度斤兩者, 卿及禦史監閱, 然後納於庫藏。 皆題以州縣年月, 所以別粗良, 辨新舊也。”

  18. 18.

    “東市庫 , 郝景, 五十二兩四錢。”

  19. 19.

    《唐兩京城坊考 · 卷三 》: “四方珍奇, 皆所積集。… 當中東市局, 次東平准局。”

  20. 20.

    《舊唐書 · 職官志 · 三平准令條 》: “平准令掌供官市易之事, 丞為貳。 凡百司不任用之物, 則以時出貨, 其沒官物亦如之”。

  21. 21.

    《唐六典 》卷20: “左藏有東庫、西庫、朝堂庫 ”。

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Correspondence to Dong-fang Qi .

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Qi, Df. (2016). Not an Ordinary Hoard: The Coins in the Hejiacun Treasure . In: Fang, A., Thierry, F. (eds) The Language and Iconography of Chinese Charms. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1793-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1793-3_3

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