Item number: A128

Year: Qing Dynasty, AD 1636-1911

Material: Copper

Size: 46.01 x 46.54 mm

Weight: 23.85 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This coin is a flower coin from the Qing Dynasty featuring the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals.

It has a central round hole and the obverse side is inscribed with the names and symbols of the Eight Trigrams of the Chinese Bagua. The reverse side of the coin is engraved with the Twelve Earthly Branches and the corresponding animal images of the Chinese Zodiac.

Yasheng coins, also known as “Yansheng coins” or “flower coins,” were not formal currency. Initially, they were primarily used for prayers for good fortune and to ward off evil spirits. Over time, their usage became more widespread. These coins were minted from the Western Han Dynasty to the early Republic of China, with a particular abundance and variety during the Qing Dynasty.

Bagua:
The Bagua, originating from the “Book of Changes” (Yijing), is an ancient philosophical concept that describes the operation of the world. Later, people began to apply the Bagua to other areas, such as divination and Feng Shui. The Bagua consists of eight basic symbols, namely “Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Xun, Gen, Dui.” Each symbol represents a natural element or concept, such as water, fire, wind, and earth, forming sixty-four different combinations, each representing the laws of the universe and the changes of things.

Twelve Earthly Branches:
The Twelve Earthly Branches were originally a way of timekeeping in ancient China, dividing the 24-hour day into 12 two-hour periods. Later, these Twelve Branches were associated with animals, forming the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, which include: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. According to belief, these animals influence a person’s personality and destiny. This concept is widely applied in traditional Chinese folk divination and customs.

物件編號: A128

年代: 清代, 公元 1636-1911 年

材料: 銅

尺寸: 46.01 x 46.54 mm

重量: 23.85 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

此枚錢幣為清代時期鑄造的十二生肖花錢。錢幣中央有一個圓孔，正面刻有中國八卦的卦名和符號。錢幣的背面則刻了十二地支和相對應的生肖動物形象。

壓勝錢又稱厭勝錢、花錢，非正式流通的貨幣，最初主要用於祈吉、驅邪，而後使用範圍越趨廣泛。從西漢至民初均有鑄造，尤以清代為盛，種類繁多。

八卦:
來自於《 易經》，是一種古老的哲學概念，描述世界運作方式的觀念。後來，人們開始將八卦應用在其他方面，比如命理學和風水。八卦有八個基本符號，分別為「乾、坤、坎、離、震、巽、艮、兌 」每個符號代表著一個自然元素或概念，例如:水、火、風、地…等，可形成六十四種不同的組合，各代表著宇宙的運行規律和事物的變換。

十二地支:
原先是中國古代記時的一種方式，將一天24個小時分為12個時辰。後來，人們將十二個地支與動物相對應起來，形成了十二生肖，也就是十二種不同的動物，按照十二年一個周期的規律循環，分別是:子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龍、巳蛇、午馬、未羊、申猴、酉雞、戌狗、亥豬。據說影響了一個人的性格和命運，這種觀念被廣泛運用在中國傳統民間占卜和風俗文化。