History·20 March 2026·4 min read
The knife and spade money of ancient China
Before round coins, the Chinese used money shaped like tools: small bronze knives and spades.
In ancient China, before round coins, money was shaped like the tools it replaced in barter: small bronze knives and spades. It was money "descended" from real, useful objects.
The road to the round coin
Over time, the shapes simplified into the round coin with a square hole in the middle, a symbol of China for two millennia. It's the story, in metal, of the move from barter to abstract money.
