Two Thousand Years of Coinage in China : An Analytical Survey

This survey has shown that Chinese cash was usually manufactured from leaded bronze until the 16th century. Then, sometime during the period 1503-1505, brass coinage was introduced, perhaps alongside that of bronze, until from 1527 onwards all subsequent issues were made of brass. The composition of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Historical metallurgy 1989, Vol.23 (1), p.25-30
Main Authors: BOWMAN, S. G. E, COWELL, M. R, CRIBB, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Art and archaeology
Asia
Chemistry
China
Generalities
History of science and technology
Metallurgy
Metallurgy
ceramics and glass working
Numismatics
Physical sciences and techniques
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Summary:This survey has shown that Chinese cash was usually manufactured from leaded bronze until the 16th century. Then, sometime during the period 1503-1505, brass coinage was introduced, perhaps alongside that of bronze, until from 1527 onwards all subsequent issues were made of brass. The composition of these brass issues indicates that metallic Zn was used in their manufacture, rather than cementation brass, and hence that Zn metal was available to the Chinese early in the 16th century. Whether this was manufactured in China or imported, perhaps from India, cannot be determined from these data but certainly it must have been available in considerable quantities. The composition of the coinage provides no evidence of early brass production using the cementation process although this does not guarantee that it was not used for other metalwork. Indeed, before the brass coinage was introduced, there is abundant evidence of brass of probable cementation origin being used for statuary metalwork in China. 25 ref.--AA
ISSN:0142-3304