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Ancient Chinese Currency |
The use of currency developed rapidly alongside the growth of nations, serving to manage the surplus wealth generated by the exploitation of slaves, serfs, or farmers, as well as facilitating trade between distant regions and the plundering of neighboring peoples.
Among the various commodities used as currency in ancient societies (such as woven fabrics and cacao beans in the Maya and Aztec kingdoms, cowrie shells and gold in the West African kingdoms, iron ingots of the Hittites, barley and wheat in Mesopotamia, wheat and copper in Egypt, millet and silk in China), minted currency stands out as particularly noteworthy because it continues to be used to this day.
Initially, minted money was just a specific form of metal currency. In China, before the circulation of minted coins, and even after their introduction in the late 4th century BC, objects shaped like shells and knives were used as currency. The first minted coins were produced in the 7th century BC in Asia Minor and Greece, where some cities still used metal ingots as currency at that time. Thin, square pieces of silver stamped with various motifs were used in India around the same period and remained in use until the introduction of minted coins in the 4th century BC.
