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China, County of Zhao, Big Spade Coin Fangzubu with Inscription Anyang

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China, County of Zhao, Big Spade Coin Fangzubu with Inscription Anyang (obverse) China, County of Zhao, Big Spade Coin Fangzubu with Inscription Anyang (reverse)

Spade coins were called bu in Chinese. The oldest trade items developed in the 11th century BC. These early pieces still look very much like real tools, and rarely bear inscriptions. In the course of time, spade coins became smaller and more abstract. The later pieces all bear inscriptions, indicating the mint, the value and the currency (mostly 1/2, 1 or 2 jin).

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