Item number: A286

Year: AD 7-9

Material: Bronze

Size: 74.6 x 29.2 x 2.4 mm

Weight: 14.87 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coins 2015

This is a bronze knife coin called “Qi Knife Five Hundred” minted during the 2nd year of the Jian Shi era (AD 7), when Wang Mang, who had already consolidated power within the Western Han Dynasty, initiated currency reforms imitating the ancient practises of the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to the “Record of Monetary Systems” in the “Book of Han” from the Eastern Han period, it describes the “Qi Knife” as follows: “The ring is like a large coin, the body is like a knife, two inches long, inscribed with the words ‘Qi Knife Five Hundred’.”

This coin consists of two parts: the upper half resembles a round-shaped coin with a square hole, with the characters “Qi Knife” engraved on the obverse side; the lower half forms the blade of the knife, with the characters “Five Hundred” on the obverse, representing that one “Qi Knife” could be exchanged for five hundred Wu Zhu coins.

In this currency reform, Wang Mang also minted another coin with a similar design, known as the “One Knife Equals Five Thousand” or the colloquial “Gold Knife”. Both the “Qi Knife Five Hundred” and the “One Knife Equals Five Thousand” were high-denomination virtual currencies. Twenty “Knife Five Hundred” or two “One Knife Equals Five Thousand” could be exchanged for one jin (250 g) of gold. The primary purpose of these two types of coins with such significant purchasing power was to implement Wang Mang’s intention to abolish private ownership through economic reforms. Wang Mang, who revered the Duke of Zhou, aimed to restore the public ownership system of the early Western Zhou Dynasty. To achieve this goal, he legislated to prohibit merchants and nobles below the rank of “Marquis” from owning gold, intending to reduce the social issues of land consolidation prevalent at the time.

However, Wang Mang’s disastrous economic policies not only failed to achieve their intended effects but also adversely affected the livelihoods of the common people. Therefore, after officially usurping the throne in AD 9, Wang Mang abolished the issuance of the two aforementioned knife coins. Nevertheless, he continued to implement three more currency reforms, but the situation deteriorated further, leading to the downfall of the Xin Dynasty. Despite this, the coinage minted by Wang Mang, with its design and calligraphy, has been highly praised by literati and collectors throughout history. Dai Xi, a renowned numismatist from the Qing Dynasty, even lauded Wang Mang as the “foremost master of coinage throughout history.”

Wang Mang, despite being a powerful figure and influential statesman at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, led a remarkably austere private life. He even commanded his son, who had committed crimes, to commit suicide as an act of contrition, earning him praise from scholars and the common people. Thus, in AD 8, amidst widespread calls from various sectors, Wang Mang peacefully usurped power through abdication, changing the dynastic title to Xin. Despite his failed economic policies, which led to his assassination by rebel forces in AD 23, over a thousand courtiers were willing to accompany him in death. Although official historical accounts of later periods often denounce Wang Mang as a “hypocrite,” during the Republican era, Hu Shih gave him the high praise of being the “first socialist in China.”

物件編號: A286

年代: 公元 7-9 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 74.6 x 29.2 x 2.4 mm

重量: 14.87 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2015

這是一枚居攝2年(公元7年)，彼時已經獨攬西漢大權的外戚王莽，效仿西周古制推動貨幣改革中鑄造的「栔刀五百」青銅製刀幣。東漢時期的《漢書 食貨志》記載如下，「契刀，其環如大錢，身形如刀，長二寸，文曰契刀五百」。該硬幣由兩部分組成，上半部分呈現圓形方孔錢狀，於正面兩側刻有「栔刀」兩字；下半部則為刀身，正面有「五百」兩字代表一枚「栔刀」得以兌換五百枚五銖錢。

王莽在此次貨幣改革中，還另鑄造一枚型制相仿的「一刀平五千」，即雅稱的「金錯刀」。不論是「栔刀五百」或「一刀平五千」皆為大面額的虛值貨幣，二十枚「栔刀五百」或兩枚「一刀平五千」即可兌換一斤(250克)黃金。這兩種錢幣有如此強大的購買力，主要目的是實踐王莽意圖廢除私有制的經濟改革。推崇周公的王莽欲恢復西周初年的公有制，為此曾立法禁止商人和「列侯」爵位以下的貴族擁有黃金，意圖降低當時土地兼併的社會問題。

然而王莽糟糕的經濟政策不僅無法達成效果，甚至連底層平民的生計也受到影響。因此王莽在公元9年正式篡位後，便廢止上述兩款刀幣的發行。不過仍接續推動三次貨幣改革，但情勢卻更加每況愈下導致新朝覆滅。不過王莽鑄造的錢幣，其型制和書法備受歷代文人和收藏家推崇，清代著名錢幣學家戴熙更盛讚王莽為「古今鑄錢第一高手」。

王莽貴為西漢末年權傾一時的外戚和權臣，其私下生活卻極為簡樸，甚至責令犯法的兒子自殺謝罪得到文人和百姓的推崇。故公元8年在各界的呼聲下，王莽以不流血的禪讓取得政權，改國號為新。雖然失敗的經濟政策招使王莽於公元23年遭到亂軍殺害，卻有一千多名朝臣願意陪同他赴死。即便後世的官方史書多以「偽君子」評價王莽，但是民國時期的胡適卻給予他「中國第一位社會主義者」高度評價。