The Mystery of Knife Coin, Is the Mysterious Word "Gospel" or "Curse"

"Knife Coin" is a unique and important currency in ancient China. It evolved from the cutting of fishing and hunting tools, and consists of four parts: the head, the body, the handle and the ring. "Knife Coin" is named after its shape like a knife, and it is a general term for various knife-shaped currencies such as the needle-head knife, the pointed head knife, the open knife and the neat knife, and the round head knife cast in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Qi was the first country to use "Dao Coin". The blade of Qi Dao is broad and heavy, which is the most exquisite one in the Warring States period. Qi's "Dao Coin" is vivid and beautifully made. The height of Qi Dao is about 17 cm, and it weighs about 4-55 grams. The handle is slightly curved, and the Qi Dao is made of copper, and the caster is better. The copper content is about 7% after testing.

There is a common inscription "Ming" in the sword coins of Yan State, commonly known as "Yan Ming Dao". At first, sharp first Dao and needle first Dao were popular in Yan State, but in the Warring States period, they developed into truncated first Dao and Yan Ming Dao. Yan Ming Dao is lighter and smaller than Qi Dao, with a height of about 13 ~ 14 cm and a weight of about 13 grams. The word "Ming" is "Xu" and "Yan Ming Dao".

Zhao Dao's blade is thin and straight, which is also called "straight blade". Zhao Dao's coin appeared late, and it is mainly a small straight blade with a round head. The blade is about 13 ~ 14 cm high and weighs about 5 ~ 15 grams. The blade and the blade head are rounded, which is quite different from Qi Dao's and Yan Dao's heads with sharp corners. The handle and blade are close to vertical, and the front of the knife has ".

Among the ancient coins, one of the coins with the greatest collection potential is the Qi Dao coin. Qi Knife Coin belongs to special-shaped money, which was the currency of Qi State in the Warring States Period. It was called Knife Coin because it was shaped like a knife, and its front was divided into six characters, five characters, four characters and three characters. Qi Dao coins are few in the world, and their appearance is beautiful and generous, so they have a very large appreciation space. Cloth coins and knife coins have become a hot spot in the market. Apart from the fact that cloth and knife are China's ancient coins, which have a quaint style, followed by the extension of national culture, they are also old, rarely circulated and of high value.

Qi Dao appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with large and heavy blade body, exquisite casting and smooth and colorful coins, ranking first among Dao coins. Qi Dao includes three-character knives, four-character knives, five-character knives and six-character knives. According to textual research, the four-character knife and the five-character knife are coins coined in the period of Qi State with Jiang surname (before 386 BC), which are characterized in that the profile of the blade surface is higher than the handle, and the profile is interrupted at the intersection. The three-character knife and the six-character knife were cast in the period of Tian's surname Qi State (after 368 BC), characterized by the continuous direct connection between the outline and the handle.

Among these Dao coins, the six-character Qi Dao is the most famous. According to historical records, the six-character knife should have been cast by Tian He in the Qi Dynasty. Tian's 12th reign began with the state of Qi, and after Taigong and Li became the marquis of Qi, a six-character knife named "Legalization of Qi Tuobang" was presented to commemorate the founding of the country. Some scholars call the six-character knife the earliest commemorative coin in China.

Knife coin consists of a knife head, a knife body, a knife handle and a knife ring. Knife head is the main basis for dividing the types of knife coins, which can be divided into needle head knife, pointed head knife, truncated head knife, round head knife and flat head knife according to their shapes. According to the back of the knife, it can be divided into chin folding knife and arc back knife. Qi is the main country that uses knife coins. Qi's knife coins are vivid and beautifully made. There are mainly "making a country prosperous by law", "making a country prosperous by law", "making a country prosperous by law" and "all the knife". The six-character Dao, also known as the Fa-Hua Dao of Qi Dynasty, was cast at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. It was the founding commemorative coin cast by Jiang Qi on behalf of Tian's family and was named as the Qi Hou's time. This Dao is elegant in shape, excellent in casting and rare in the world, and it has been valued by collectors in past dynasties. All the knife was named after the word "Ming" on the blade. Its back text is very rare, such as "Ju Ye Qi Hua", which was cast by Yan Jiang Le Yi in five years, occupying more than 7 cities such as Linzi. This Dao was first discovered in Boshan, Shandong during the Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty, so it is also called "Boshan Dao".

Knife coins, a unique and important kind of ancient currency in China, evolved from the cutting of fishing and hunting tools. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, they gradually spread to Qi, Yan, Zhao and other places. The Qin Dynasty began to unify the currency system, changing the style of irregular coins in previous dynasties into the shape of an outer circle and an inner side. Knife coins have become the focus of Tibetan friends because of their short historical popularity and relatively small amount of existence.