Knife coin
Chinese knife coins were prehistoric means of payment produced and in circulation during the Zhou dynasty (12th – 3rd centuries BC) . Since the bronze pieces were derived from the commodity knife , they initially represented an intermediate form of device and coin money . However, with advancing standardization and miniaturization , they increasingly assumed the status of coins. This applies above all to the 7th century BC. Chr. In the kingdom of Qi with characters provided, which they identify as the official currency of the state and therefore belong to the oldest coins.
There are knife coins with three, four, five or six characters.
Web links
Commons : Knife Coin - Collection of images, videos and audio files