Ying yuan Chines Gold Coin

The Ying yuan is an early gold coin minted in ancient China, these type of coins where found only in china at the time. The only minted gold of this period known is Ying Yuan, which consists of sheets of gold 3-5mm thick, of various sizes, with inscriptions consisting of square or round stamps in which there are one or two characters. 

They have been unearthed in various locations south of the Yellow River indicating that they were products of the State of Chu. One of the characters in their inscription is often a monetary unit or weight which is normally read as 爰 yuan. 

Pieces are of a very variable size and thickness, and the stamps appear to be a device to validate the whole block, rather than a guide to enable it to be broken up into unit pieces. Some specimens have been reported in copper, lead, or clay. It is probable that these were funeral money, not circulating coinage, as they are found in tombs, but the gold coins are not.

 In China there is no doubt that the well-known spade and knife money were used as coins, it has not been demonstrated that other items often offered by dealers as coins such as fish, halberds, and metal chimes were also used as coins.

It’s never too late to start a collection of the coin and see how many you get; it’s always good to put yourself in a mission just to see how many you can come with it. And if you travel, probably you can collect them from different countries and show them off at your house or gallery if you own one.

 People are fascinated by history materials and the story behind them, so be the one who can give them the knowledge behind the Ying yuan gold coins. And remember if they want to learn more from the coins then they can search them on the net and see how far they dated.

For more information about gold coins, visit the anchor coins website http://www.anchorcoins.co.za/gold_coins_at_anchor_coins.html


To convert your gold coin collection into cash at Anchor Coins send us an email at elias@anchorcoins.co.za or joseph@anchorcoins.co.za or call our Pretoria office at 012 23 0004 or Durban office at 031 826 4681/031 826 4680