Money is the product of social development, whether in the East or in the West, there have been a variety of different styles of money, but there is a world of difference in the shape of money between the two. For example, on the earliest currencies in Western countries, some animal patterns were minted, what kind of animals were they? If you are also curious, the following Xiaobian will reveal the secret to you.
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Before talking about Western currencies, Xiaobian will first tell you about the currencies of the mainland, and only comparison can find differences. As we all know, the earliest currency in history is some shellfish, and later with the development of social economy, metal currency appeared, from archaeological findings, it can be seen that the earliest metal currency on the mainland is the copper shell coin of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. As the name suggests, copper shell coins are coins minted from copper imitation shells, which have been excavated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Then to the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, the development of money diversified, the main ones are shovel coins, cloth coins and knife coins, their shape is also just like its name, like a knife or like a shovel. After the unification of Qin, the national currency was unified on the basis of the ring money of the Warring States period, that is, the Qin half two coins, which is a kind of copper coin with an outer circle and an inner square.
Since then, whether it is the five baht money of the Han Dynasty, or the Tongbao money that has been used from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, it has not jumped out of the mold of qin and half two, the main difference is only that the text on the coins is different, and what year number is engraved on what year number at that time, such as Kaiyuan Tongbao, Great Song Tongbao, Yongle Tongbao, Kangxi Tongbao and Republic of China Tongbao and so on. At the same time as the emergence and development of Chinese money, Western metal money has also begun to circulate in society.
In Western countries, the earliest metal currency discovered by archaeologists is the Richian silver coin, which was excavated in the Turkish region in the 18th century and dated back more than 2600 years. Studies have shown that the Lydian silver coin was minted by the order of King Aliad of the Kingdom of Lydia, which was about 3.5 centimeters in diameter and featured a raised lion head on the front, and the lion opened its blood basin and mouth, as if roaring to the world. Archaeologists believe that the lion is the totem of the Kingdom of Lydia, because the lion is fierce, so the soldiers who symbolize the Kingdom of Lydia are like lions without fear of opponents. It is worth mentioning that there are many so-called Sidia silver coins in today's collection circles, but in fact, they are counterfeit coins imitated by later generations, and there are very few genuine Lidian silver coins, so we must pay attention to screening.
In addition to the fierce animals that are highly sought after, animals that symbolize wisdom are also loved. In the ruins of the ancient city of Athens, archaeologists have unearthed "owl coins" dating back more than 2,400 years, that is, one side of the currency minted a standing owl, with round eyes looking cute. On the other side of the currency, this is the head of Athena, the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology, and also wears an olive branch and a garland. Experts say the owl is a symbol of wisdom and is also the patron saint bird of Athena, which has a special meaning for the ancient Greeks. In addition, archaeological research has determined that this "owl coin" has a little-known origin, it was minted to celebrate the victory of the Bosi War, so this coin can also bring good luck.
In Sicily in the Mediterranean, archaeologists have also discovered an interesting animal currency. In the 1950s, experts cleaned up the ruins of the ancient city of Akragas in Sicily, during which time they found a large number of silver coins, but these silver coins were very small, almost the size of fingernail lids. However, what surprised the experts was that these silver coins were engraved with an eight-legged crab, and even the crab's eyes were clearly visible, and it was interesting that the crab also held a pair of large pliers, as if preparing to attack the prey. Similar "crab currency" was first discovered, and experts said that Sicily was surrounded by the sea, and perhaps crabs were the animals they saw the most, so they minted it on silver coins.
In addition to these animals, there is another animal that is also widely popular, namely the ram. In the Greek region of Thrace, a small state called the Kingdom of Thrace was established, dating back more than 2,200 years. Archaeologists have found some ancient coins of the Kingdom of Thrace in the ruins of temples in the Kingdom of Thrace, which are presumably minted by King Lisimachus. The ancient coins of the Kingdom of Reis are square, with a circle of ancient Greek engraved on the obverse and then a mighty-looking ram in the middle. Experts say the ram is a symbol of bravery, so the ancient ram coin of the Kingdom of Reis is also known as the "silver coin of the brave".
In the Western metal currency, in addition to the lion, owl, crab and ram mentioned in the editor, there are many other animals that cannot be listed, which can also be compared with the ancient metal currency of the mainland, and their obvious differences can also be found. Western currencies are all concrete images, while ancient Chinese currencies are abstract images, such as using the outer circle inside to represent the place of the heavenly circle. However, these are not good or bad, but are only the products of different cultures.
Resources:
"Ancient Coins in Search of Treasures" by Su Ye, Liu Yurong, Publisher: Cultural Relics Publishing House
Wenlan Hairun Studio Editor-in-Chief Wen Xiucai, this article is written by: Special History Writer: Liu Lijiang's