A Numismatic Culture Festival is an exchange activity gathering academic seminars, professional forums, and new book releases organized by Chinese civil organizations. There are also coin culture exhibitions, coin exchanges, and rare coin displays during the festival.
Fig. 1 Group photo provided by Chengdu Shuchangge Company (from left) 1st row: Zhang Ruiqi, Ma Yifeng, Zeng Chenyu, Yuan Shuiqing, Huo Bo, Wang Tao, Li Zhiming, Yang Hong ……2nd row: Liu Jianqun, Li Jianing, Xi Aili, Yuan Lin……Zhang Zhiqiang (3rd from right)
Fig. 1-2 Three experts spoke online
Fig. 2 Kai Yuan Tong Bao imitation type
Fig.３-1 Early bust of Buddha
Fig.３-2 Prototype of the bust
The Numismatic Culture Festival is held twice a year in different cities, aiming to discover the characteristics of coin culture in different regions. The first Numismatic Culture Festival was successfully held in April 2023 in Xi'an. The 3rd Numismatic Culture Festival is scheduled to be held in April 2024 in Hangzhou. The 2nd Numismatic Culture Festival organized by the Sichuan Collectors Association, Huaxia Ancient Coin /Huaxia Grading Company, Ancient Coin Library, Baocui Grading Company, Wende Grading Company, and Zhongfu Auction was held in Chengdu from September 9 to September 11, 2023, with more than 300 numismatists from all over the country and nearly 100 exhibitors (Champion Auction was at Booth A1) attending the event. This year's festival followed the schedule of the first one held in Xi'an, namely, exchanges, book releases, exhibitions, and academic seminars. The opening ceremony of the new museum of Chuanjiang Coin Museum on September 8 officially kicked off the festival.
On the morning of September 9, the new book Sichuan Coin Collection - Ancient Coin (《巴蜀泉集 · 古錢篇》) edited by Li Liang ( 李亮 ) was released, followed by a discussion on the history of coins and unsolved mysteries in Sichuan by several experts. On the afternoon of September 9 and the whole day of September 10, 3 high-level symposiums were held, namely the Symposiums on the Millennium of the Paper Money - Ancient Banknotes of All Ages, Symposium on Coins of the Song Dynasties, and the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road. For the sake of an international perspective, we would like to overview the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road held onthe afternoon of September 10 (Figure 1-1).
Speakers shared their novel views and high-definition photos at the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road. The seminar was hosted by Dr. Zeng Chenyu ( 曾晨宇 ) and Dr. Zhang Ruiqi ( 張睿 琦 ), and nine experts, scholars, and collectors of Silk Road coins made wonderful speeches, among which Qi Xiaoyan ( 齊小豔 ), Zhou Ti ( 周倜 ) and Cao Guangsheng ( 曹廣勝 ) made speeches online (Figs. 1-2).
First of all, Qi Xiaoyan, a distinguished professor at Hebei Normal University, made an introduction to the Sogdiana coins on the Silk Road online. Situated in the middle of the Silk Road, Sogdiana is a typical example of multi-cultural exchange and integration. Ms. Qi introduced the Sogdiana coins of different periods and their evolution history based on the existing coins. Depending on the shape of the coin and the specific design, the Sogdiana coins reflect the multicultural evolution and heritage from their changes from striking to casting, kings’ portraits to inscriptions, patterns to emblems, and Greek gods to Iranian gods. The coins are characterized by a combination of Greek, Iranian, Chinese, nomadic, and Sogdian elements, which have collided to form a multifaceted coinage (Fig. 2).
On the morning of September 9, the new book Sichuan Coin Collection - Ancient Coin (《巴蜀泉集 · 古錢篇》) edited by Li Liang ( 李亮 ) was released, followed by a discussion on the history of coins and unsolved mysteries in Sichuan by several experts. On the afternoon of September 9 and the whole day of September 10, 3 high-level symposiums were held, namely the Symposiums on the Millennium of the Paper Money - Ancient Banknotes of All Ages, Symposium on Coins of the Song Dynasties, and the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road. For the sake of an international perspective, we would like to overview the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road held onthe afternoon of September 10 (Figure 1-1).
Speakers shared their novel views and high-definition photos at the Symposium on the Coins of the Silk Road. The seminar was hosted by Dr. Zeng Chenyu ( 曾晨宇 ) and Dr. Zhang Ruiqi ( 張睿 琦 ), and nine experts, scholars, and collectors of Silk Road coins made wonderful speeches, among which Qi Xiaoyan ( 齊小豔 ), Zhou Ti ( 周倜 ) and Cao Guangsheng ( 曹廣勝 ) made speeches online (Figs. 1-2).
First of all, Qi Xiaoyan, a distinguished professor at Hebei Normal University, made an introduction to the Sogdiana coins on the Silk Road online. Situated in the middle of the Silk Road, Sogdiana is a typical example of multi-cultural exchange and integration. Ms. Qi introduced the Sogdiana coins of different periods and their evolution history based on the existing coins. Depending on the shape of the coin and the specific design, the Sogdiana coins reflect the multicultural evolution and heritage from their changes from striking to casting, kings’ portraits to inscriptions, patterns to emblems, and Greek gods to Iranian gods. The coins are characterized by a combination of Greek, Iranian, Chinese, nomadic, and Sogdian elements, which have collided to form a multifaceted coinage (Fig. 2).
Ma Yifeng ( 馬逸風 ) is currently a researcher at the Zhiguan Art Museum in Beijing. His presentation, Faraway Mountains: A Discussion on the Origins of Himalaya Statuary Art, began with Buddhism and Buddhist art and brought the audience into the world of the Buddha. Himalaya art is the most important artistic result of the cultural exchanges along the Silk Road and the integration of Greek, Central Asian, and Indian art. The Buddha cultures of China, Greece, and India all originated from the art of Gandhara. Ancient Greek coins, Kushan coins, and Himalayan statuary have a clear lineage and corroborative relationship. The earliest backlighting and statue of the Buddha are shown in Fig. 3, and below is its original modeling. In fact, Greece had an influence on China in multiple aspects, coins included. Kushan coins and Sashanbosi coins are examples. Their patterns were influenced by the art of Gandhara (Fig. 4), so the source of Gandhara is very important.
The Sui, Tang, and Five dynasties were the prosperous period of the Maritime Silk Road. The culture of the Tang dynasty wasa bridge between Chinese and Japanese culture. The interaction and influence of the Tang dynasty on Japan can be seen in the phrase “The culture of the Tang dynasty traveled to the east as wind and made an integration.” Yuan Lin ( 袁 林 ), the deputy secretary-general of the Shaanxi Numismatic Society, made a speech on the “Japan and the Discovery Wadōkaichin [ 和同開珎 ] Silver Coin in China.” He made a deep analysis and pointed out that in October 1970, more than 1,000 pieces of gold and silver wares were discovered in Hejia County, Xi’an, which caused a sensation in the domestic and international archaeological community. Five of these wares are Wadōkaichin coins which Japan cast after learning the coin casting technique from China. So far, 20 pieces have been unearthed and found in Chang'an, Luoyang, and other places where Japanese envoys to Tang were involved (Figure 5). The Japanese envoys came to the Tang more than 20 times. The coins unearthed in Xi’an may have been left during the visit in 717 A.D., only nine years after the casting of the Wadōkaichin silver coins. On this visit, the envoys included Abeno Nakamaro whointroduced the Chinese characters into Japan. Ino Manari, an international student who died in the Tang (his memorial tablet is housed in the Museum of Northwestern University) was also among the envoys. The Wadōkaichin coin might be a good gift for Manari to give his teachers when he reported the study results. Because the kai yuan tong bao gold and silver coins were mostly rewards granted by emperors, rather than circulating coins, Wadōkaichin silver coins were most likely to be the gifts brought by the Japanese envoys to the Tang dynasty.
The Sui, Tang, and Five dynasties were the prosperous period of the Maritime Silk Road. The culture of the Tang dynasty wasa bridge between Chinese and Japanese culture. The interaction and influence of the Tang dynasty on Japan can be seen in the phrase “The culture of the Tang dynasty traveled to the east as wind and made an integration.” Yuan Lin ( 袁 林 ), the deputy secretary-general of the Shaanxi Numismatic Society, made a speech on the “Japan and the Discovery Wadōkaichin [ 和同開珎 ] Silver Coin in China.” He made a deep analysis and pointed out that in October 1970, more than 1,000 pieces of gold and silver wares were discovered in Hejia County, Xi’an, which caused a sensation in the domestic and international archaeological community. Five of these wares are Wadōkaichin coins which Japan cast after learning the coin casting technique from China. So far, 20 pieces have been unearthed and found in Chang'an, Luoyang, and other places where Japanese envoys to Tang were involved (Figure 5). The Japanese envoys came to the Tang more than 20 times. The coins unearthed in Xi’an may have been left during the visit in 717 A.D., only nine years after the casting of the Wadōkaichin silver coins. On this visit, the envoys included Abeno Nakamaro whointroduced the Chinese characters into Japan. Ino Manari, an international student who died in the Tang (his memorial tablet is housed in the Museum of Northwestern University) was also among the envoys. The Wadōkaichin coin might be a good gift for Manari to give his teachers when he reported the study results. Because the kai yuan tong bao gold and silver coins were mostly rewards granted by emperors, rather than circulating coins, Wadōkaichin silver coins were most likely to be the gifts brought by the Japanese envoys to the Tang dynasty.
Fig.３-２ The obverse of the coin is the
early bust of Buddha
Fig.４-２The reverse of the coin is the early
bust of Buddha
Fig.５ A Wadōkaichin coin discovered around 2014 in the
Yangtze ancient canal. Diameter: 2.4mm; thickness: 1.6mm; weight 5.2g
Fig.６ A Sino-Kharosthi coin
Fig. 7 A Indian Scythian coin featuring the first King Maues. The obverse is inscribed with Greek "BAΣIΛEΩΣBAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY MAYOY" which means the greatest king Maues. It features the standing Zeus. The reverse is inscribed with Kharosthi and features the Goddess Nicole with a wreath and palm branches.
Fig. ８ 1 Drachma coin with the portrait of Artabanus IV (208-228) minted by the Ecbatana Mint. Obv. : The forked-bearded king Artabanus IV with the crown.Rev. : A sitting archer with the mint mark below the arch, surrounded by Greek and Parthia "rtbnw MLK" which means the Artabanus King.
Fig. ９ 1 Drachma coin with the portrait of Persis king Ardashir (213-224) minted by the Istakhr Mint.Obv.: The King Ardashir with a crown. The inscription means "The holy king Ardashir".Rev.: The portrait of the king facing left. The inscription on the left means "the king" and on the right "holy Parthia"
Zhou Ti, an expert and scholar of the Xinjiang Numismatic Society, introduced the “Discovery and Interpretation of the Kuci Sino-Kharosthi Coins” online. He explained the difference and classification of the Sino-Kharosthi coins (Fig. 6) with the Shache horse coins and Khotan horse coins. He pointed out that the Kucina Sino-Kharosthi coin is a small group in the horse coin. Very few of these coins have been found so far, with a maximum of about 10 pieces. They were found in Xinhe County, Aksu City, which was the location of Kucina in the Han dynasty. The Chinese inscription on the Sino-Kharosthi coins refers to wu zhu [ 五 銖 ], and in the middle of the coin is an irregular Chinese character of che [ 車 ] which refers to Shache. The interpretation links the Kucina horse coin with the Shache horse coin. He also put forward a novel idea on transcription and interpretation of the Kharosthi inscription on the coins. The Kharosthi transcription is maharaja dubu gavra Kucina, which means: king, military governor (king), wu zhu, Kucina. Kucina is the third name of a place found on the Kharosthi horse coin after Shache and Khotana. Zhou also elaborated on the differences and controversies about the interpretation of the Kucina coins among Western scholars. It injects new vitality into the study of Western Silk Road coins and lays a solid foundation for more in-depth research.
Zhang Ruiqi, a PhD student at Hebei Normal University,
detailed India-Scythian Coins. India-Scythian was a dynasty in Northwest India around the 1st century B.C. to the 1st century A.D., and its study is still in its infancy in China. Scythian was the first nomadic state, which originated in the 8th-7th centuries B.C. and was located in the central part of the Eurasian steppe. India-Scythian rulers included Maus, Artemidorus, Vononis, Sparisis, Azeus, Azilises, and others. Their coins inherited the India-Greek numismatic style, integrating both Western numismatic styles and the local Indian numismatic culture. The main pattern is the king on horseback, which is the characteristic of the Scythians. Zhang’s presentation illustrated the dynastic lineage of the Indian Scythians, based on the existing coins, and summarized the development of Scythian coinage in India. (Figure 7)
Fig. 10 Imitation Oregon gold coin from the ancient India.The obverse features the portrait of Emperor Severus (193-211). The reverse is the standing Goddess of Victory with a wreath. It is highly similar to the Oregon gold coin.
Fig. 11 Oregon gold coin minted by the ancient Rome. Compared with the coin in Fig. 10, they are highly similar. However, the imitation type is much rougher and the Goddess on the reverse lack a sense of art.
Cao Guangsheng ( 曹光勝 ), a member of the Chinese Numismatic Society and a longtime researcher on the historical data and currencies of the Silk Road, made an online speech on “The Fall of the Parthian Dynasty and the Establishment of the Sassanid Dynasty from the Perspective of Coins”. Taking coins as a clue, he combined historical records and stonetablet inscriptions with the latest research findings from abroad to sort out the fall of the Parthian dynasty and the establishment of the Sassanid dynasty, and to explore the origins of the Sassanid dynasty. Thus, it can be seen that the establishment of the Sassanid dynasty was not exactly the overthrow and replacement of a dynasty by the Persians, but the continuation of the Parthian dynasty in another form. In order to achieve better rule over Iran, the ruling class rose from the birthplace of ancient Persia, the Fars province in southern Iran, and united the Persian and Parthian nobles to overthrow the old dynasty and establish a new Fig. 10 Imitation Oregon gold coin from the ancient India.The obverse features the portrait of Emperor Severus (193-211). The reverse is the standing Goddess of Victory with a wreath. It is highly similar to the Oregon gold coin. Fig. 11 Oregon gold coin minted by the ancient Rome.Compared with the coin in Fig. 10, they are highly similar. However, the imitation type is much rougher and the Goddess on the reverse lack a sense of art. Parthian-Sassanian union, so that Persian culture flourished in the Iranian region, and the Sassanid dynasty eventually became the pinnacle of Persian culture in Iran. (Figures 8-9)
European ancient gold and silver coins and Silk Road gold and silver coins collector, Consultant of China Guardian Auctions Coin Department, Mr. Huo Bo ( 霍 博 ), has traveled to more than ten countries along the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road. He analyzed the trade relations between the Roman Empire and the Indian subcontinent from a numismatic point of view and argued that some of the related unearthed coins could well reproduce the trade between the two places at that time. The stability of the Roman Empire at the time allowed for the expansion of trade between the two regions. Maritime trade between western India and eastern Rome increased significantly. Indo-Roman trade was more of a one-way trade. Indians did not have a great demand for Roman products, which were basically everyday items of low value. As a result, West India became the recipient of large quantities of Roman gold coins. Since the 20th century, coins along that trade route have been discovered, providing some corroboration for our understanding of these coins and commercial trade. For example, some ancient Roman gold coins have been unearthed, one after another, in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. There are also some gold coins similar to Roman gold coins, which are obviously imitations by local merchants or local tribes. Ancient Rome brought gold coins to the Indian subcontinent through trade, as the high quality of Roman gold coins was widely recognized by local merchants.
However, the quantity they brought to the Indian subcontinent was small, so the locals imitated the gold coins to meet the needs of circulation and storage. (Figure 10-11)
Ili is located in the northern part of western Xinjiang, and the Ili River Valley used to be the key point of the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. Xinjiang banknote collector Xie Aili introduced his work The Study on the Banknotes Issued by the Ili Currency Bureau about the discovery and research on the banknotes along the Silk Road. In the early and middle Qing dynasty, Ili did not produce coins because of a peasant uprising, Tsarist Russian occupation, and lack of metal deposits. As the cost of purchasing copper coins in Gansu was too high, copper coinage was scarce and insufficient for large transactions. Therefore, the currency bureau of the Ili government was established in Suiding and Ningyuan in Xinjiang in the 15th year of Guangxu of the Qing dynasty (1889). There are 28 kinds of banknotes issued by the Ili currency bureau, including 11 kinds issued in the Qing dynasty and 17 kinds issued in the Republic of China period. The author has found 13 existing banknotes (including oilcloth banknotes) and owns some rarities (figure 12). The 1000-cash oilcloth note in the reign of Guangxu (Figure 13) is the earliest banknote issued by the Ili currency bureau. These banknotes are unique in design, and some even have four kinds of characters. Currently, the banknotes issued by the Ili currency bureau are rarely seen in the market except for those issued in the 6th year of the Republic of China. These banknotes not only have high economic value, but also great historical value.
Located in what is now Central Asia, Bactria was an important commercial and cultural crossroads in ancient times and was a pivotal point on the Silk Road. Zeng Chenyu, the assistant researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, gave a presentation on “New Bactrian Coins in Recent Years”. Based on the newly Fig. 12-1 Xi Aili purchased t h e 1 / 3 S i n k i a n g n o t e collection from Mr. Erwin Beyer on July 28th, 2018. The photo was taken at a restaurant around the Jian Guo Hotel, Xuhui, Shanghai. discovered coins of the Kingdom of Bactria (Figure 14), including the original and revised Datong coins, the coins of the two kings, and the coins of the Great Cellar of Kunduz, his study started from archaeological evidence such as cellars and inscriptions on the stone tablets, which fills in the missing parts of the classical literature, proposes new explanations for the established historical research, corrects the past false understanding about the history of Bactria, and re-describes the mingling of the Greek, Indian, and Persian cultures in the western part of the Silk Road.
European ancient gold and silver coins and Silk Road gold and silver coins collector, Consultant of China Guardian Auctions Coin Department, Mr. Huo Bo ( 霍 博 ), has traveled to more than ten countries along the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road. He analyzed the trade relations between the Roman Empire and the Indian subcontinent from a numismatic point of view and argued that some of the related unearthed coins could well reproduce the trade between the two places at that time. The stability of the Roman Empire at the time allowed for the expansion of trade between the two regions. Maritime trade between western India and eastern Rome increased significantly. Indo-Roman trade was more of a one-way trade. Indians did not have a great demand for Roman products, which were basically everyday items of low value. As a result, West India became the recipient of large quantities of Roman gold coins. Since the 20th century, coins along that trade route have been discovered, providing some corroboration for our understanding of these coins and commercial trade. For example, some ancient Roman gold coins have been unearthed, one after another, in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. There are also some gold coins similar to Roman gold coins, which are obviously imitations by local merchants or local tribes. Ancient Rome brought gold coins to the Indian subcontinent through trade, as the high quality of Roman gold coins was widely recognized by local merchants.
However, the quantity they brought to the Indian subcontinent was small, so the locals imitated the gold coins to meet the needs of circulation and storage. (Figure 10-11)
Ili is located in the northern part of western Xinjiang, and the Ili River Valley used to be the key point of the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. Xinjiang banknote collector Xie Aili introduced his work The Study on the Banknotes Issued by the Ili Currency Bureau about the discovery and research on the banknotes along the Silk Road. In the early and middle Qing dynasty, Ili did not produce coins because of a peasant uprising, Tsarist Russian occupation, and lack of metal deposits. As the cost of purchasing copper coins in Gansu was too high, copper coinage was scarce and insufficient for large transactions. Therefore, the currency bureau of the Ili government was established in Suiding and Ningyuan in Xinjiang in the 15th year of Guangxu of the Qing dynasty (1889). There are 28 kinds of banknotes issued by the Ili currency bureau, including 11 kinds issued in the Qing dynasty and 17 kinds issued in the Republic of China period. The author has found 13 existing banknotes (including oilcloth banknotes) and owns some rarities (figure 12). The 1000-cash oilcloth note in the reign of Guangxu (Figure 13) is the earliest banknote issued by the Ili currency bureau. These banknotes are unique in design, and some even have four kinds of characters. Currently, the banknotes issued by the Ili currency bureau are rarely seen in the market except for those issued in the 6th year of the Republic of China. These banknotes not only have high economic value, but also great historical value.
Located in what is now Central Asia, Bactria was an important commercial and cultural crossroads in ancient times and was a pivotal point on the Silk Road. Zeng Chenyu, the assistant researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, gave a presentation on “New Bactrian Coins in Recent Years”. Based on the newly Fig. 12-1 Xi Aili purchased t h e 1 / 3 S i n k i a n g n o t e collection from Mr. Erwin Beyer on July 28th, 2018. The photo was taken at a restaurant around the Jian Guo Hotel, Xuhui, Shanghai. discovered coins of the Kingdom of Bactria (Figure 14), including the original and revised Datong coins, the coins of the two kings, and the coins of the Great Cellar of Kunduz, his study started from archaeological evidence such as cellars and inscriptions on the stone tablets, which fills in the missing parts of the classical literature, proposes new explanations for the established historical research, corrects the past false understanding about the history of Bactria, and re-describes the mingling of the Greek, Indian, and Persian cultures in the western part of the Silk Road.
The charm of coin collecting lies in the exploration of its
culture and in in-depth research. The research on ancient Silk Road coins by the Chinese numismatic, cultural, and literary communities is fruitful, and exhibitions have been held many times. Although the numismatic market has had its ups and downs and popular varieties keep changing, the study of coin culture will always prevail. It is believed that with the new discoveries and information, the study of Silk Road coins will make significant progress.
Fig. 12-2
The Ili Money Bureau 300-cash note on the cover
of the auction catalog, realizing RMB 230,000.
Fig. 13
1891 Ili Money Bureau 1000-cash note from the Er win
Beyer Collection. (The photo is provided by Cai Xiaojun of Shanghai Yangming Auction.)
Fig. 14
A newly discovered 5 Drachma silver coin featuring Fucratides I of Greco-Bactrian Kingdom