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Hong Kong Signature Sale 3095 11-13 Dec 2021
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China
Xin Dynasty. Wang Mang (Rebel, AD 7-23) gold-inlaid "Key Money" Knife Valued at 5000 ND (AD 7-9) (Broken and Repaired), FD-458, Schjöth-119, Hartill-9.12 (Rare), Jen-69, Shanghai Museum-1263. 74x27mm. 23.14gm. Among the rarest emissions from the complex monetary system employed by Wang Mang, as well as a type that serves as a watershed in world monetary history. Assigned a face-value of 5000 Wu Zhu (the standard coin of the Han Dynasty), or roughly 1/2 cattie (60 grams or 2 ounces) of pure gold, these coins represented one of the first fiat currencies, and were likely devised by Wang Mang to draw gold to his treasury. History suggests that this effort was relatively successful, yet while Wang Mang amassed many chests of gold, the drain on the empire's financial resources compounded outrage against his rule already precipitated by the complexity of the issues he minted. Containing a mildly sandy and apple green patina, despite having been broken off along the upper ring and glued back together at some point, the fragile gold inlay remains almost fully intact.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/china/china-xin-dynasty-wang-mang-rebel-ad-7-23-gold-inlaid-key-money-knife-valued-at-5000-nd-ad-7-9-broken-and-re/a/3095-35075.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3095-12112021
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 800-1200 USD
Xin Dynasty. Wang Mang (Rebel, AD 7-23) gold-inlaid "Key Money" Knife Valued at 5000 ND (AD 7-9) (Broken and Repaired), FD-458, Schjöth-119, Hartill-9.12 (Rare), Jen-69, Shanghai Museum-1263. 74x27mm. 23.14gm. Among the rarest emissions from the complex monetary system employed by Wang Mang, as well as a type that serves as a watershed in world monetary history. Assigned a face-value of 5000 Wu Zhu (the standard coin of the Han Dynasty), or roughly 1/2 cattie (60 grams or 2 ounces) of pure gold, these coins represented one of the first fiat currencies, and were likely devised by Wang Mang to draw gold to his treasury. History suggests that this effort was relatively successful, yet while Wang Mang amassed many chests of gold, the drain on the empire's financial resources compounded outrage against his rule already precipitated by the complexity of the issues he minted. Containing a mildly sandy and apple green patina, despite having been broken off along the upper ring and glued back together at some point, the fragile gold inlay remains almost fully intact.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/china/china-xin-dynasty-wang-mang-rebel-ad-7-23-gold-inlaid-key-money-knife-valued-at-5000-nd-ad-7-9-broken-and-re/a/3095-35075.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3095-12112021
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 800-1200 USD