Advantages and disadvantages of knife coins

"Knife Coin" is a kind of ancient Chinese bronze coins, is one of the bronze coins minted during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, evolved from the "knife" of the production tools. It was circulated in Qi, Yan, Zhao and other countries during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. There are many kinds of knives, including Qi knife, Jimo knife, Anyang knife, needle head knife, pointed head knife, round head knife and Ming knife. There is a text cast on it. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, he unified the coinage system and abolished the coins of shell, knife and cloth.

Knife coins are composed of several parts: the head of the knife, the body of the knife, the handle and the ring of the knife. The head of the knife is the main basis for the division of the type of knife coins, according to the shape can be divided into needle head knife, pointed head knife, cut off the head of the knife, round head knife and the head of the knife. According to the back of the knife can be divided into chime folding knife and arc back knife.

"Knife coins" officially known as "knife (goods) knife coins", by the head of the knife, knife body, knife handle and knife ring four parts. The edge of the knife to the outer contour, the edge is not outward, to the left and not to the right, said concave back convex edge, the head of the knife is close to the three elephants, the knife body and the handle is similar to the size of the two rectangular, the knife ring is round. The whole knife coins by several geometric forms skillfully combined together, forming a smooth circumference, fullness, rounded image of beauty and harmony.

According to the actual measurement, the diameter of the ring and the length of the head of the knife is 1:7.5, which is exactly the ratio of the human head and height. And the whole "knife coins" length (generally about 18 cm) and almost the length of the hand, if the six knife coins head to tail, can be composed of a circle, which is the "Zhouli - Kaogongji" in the "Chiku's for the cut, the length of the foot Bo inch, and the six sides of the gauge ".

These precise designs and ingenious conceptions are the full expression of the ingenuity of the ancient working people. Later, with the expansion of Qi's territory and war with neighboring countries, the circulation of Qi's knife coins gradually expanded to the Yan and Zhao regions. At this time, the knife coins because of the casting of different places, the shape of the formation of the "Qi knife", "Yan knife", "Zhao knife" three series.

This collection of "knife coins" weighs about 15.4g, for the pointed head of the knife, the shape of the back of the knife is slightly curved, the knife is wide and narrow, the end of the hilt are ring, the hilt has a cracked groove. Knife coins belong to the shaped money, is the currency of the Warring States period, because the shape is like sharpening the knife is called knife coins.