Exchange In Ancient China

Throughout the Chinese history, century after century, led to the age of today’s currency. By this revolutionizing idea all from China, economy is still based on using coins and paper money. The first form of currency that was used under the Shang dynasty was the cowrie shells that were mainly used among trade along the Silk Road to other regions. Around the 1800 BC time period, this way of exchange was the main economical method through the Chinese. These shells had carving marks in them that made them distinctive to where they come from and what they were used for. After the use of the cowry shells, they started using metal plates and shaping them as knives and another form called spade shaped money. The cowry method was not over, but it was not very common amongst the Northern Chinese region because they mainly trade exclusive goods or the two oddly shaped newly founded moneys. This change in the currency did not last long for the knives and spades but was never fully converted back to the cowry shells. …show more content…
The copper money, like the three sets shown in the images shown, were usually were given to workers as payment and then put on a tread to keep all of the money in tact. At first, it was off to a slow start but then soon people had string after strings worth of money. Due to eventually this form of currency almost running out of metal to make this sort of money, they had to stop reproducing them after using such large amounts of copper and bronze per years. Not only was the metal creating a struggle but throughout all of Chinese history, those who forged or faked any kind of money was put to death as a consequence. This law was mainly towards the people that had stuck to the cowry money and copper money especially with fools