CHINA

TEA BRICK  MONEY

KNIFE COIN

Knives were a common barter item in ancient China, but a bit hazardous to carry around to trade. Some of China's first coins were made to look like a knife, so that people would think of them as money, but they lacked a sharp blade. A hole was included for easy stringing. This knife coin is called the "Ming" after the city where it was made (not the dynasty that was much later). It dates from about 400BC to 225BC.

MULTICOLOR PROOF COIN

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