This is a “Lu” Square Footed Spade Money made by the state of Han during the Warring States period. The obverse side features the character “露” (Lu) in seal script, with a vertical stripe running from the top of the spade money down to the bottom. The reverse side also has the same vertical stripe, along with two diagonal stripes extending from the top part of the spade money to the foot area. The “露” character on the obverse side of the spade money represents a place name, which roughly corresponds to the present-day Licheng County and Lucheng District in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. During the Warring States period, this area was under the jurisdiction of the state of Han.
Spade money, also referred to in historical texts as “鎛” or homophonously as “布,” were metal coins shaped like spades, an agricultural tool. As the first form of metallic currency in Chinese history, spade money often appears in the logos of financial departments and banking institutions in regions such as China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The development of spade money dates from the late Shang Dynasty to the Warring States period, with the Three Jins region (Han, Zhao, and Wei) serving as its core and giving rise to various forms.
Among various forms of spade money, the square-footed spade money was the most widely minted and circulated. In addition to the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei, other states such as Yan, Qi, Lu, Song, and Qin also minted and issued square-footed Spade money. The quantity of square-footed Spade money unearthed, as well as the diversity of their types, far exceeds that of other pre-Qin currencies, making it one of the most prominent forms of currency during that time.
