CHINA - SHUN CHIH - Lot 392

CHINA - SHUN CHIH 2nd Emperor of the Qing Dynasty October 8, 1643 - February 5, 1661 First series with a single Chinese character on the reverse (O, Che, Fu, Hu, Kung, Lin, Ning, Tung, T'ung) ; Second series with 2 Chinese characters on reverse (left, a Li and right, Hu, Lin, Ning, Shan, Tung, Yün); Third series: Chinese-Manchu characters on the reverse and only Manchu in the case of Beijing (Che, Chi, Chiang, Hsuan, Lin, Ning, Shan, Tung, T'ung, Yüan, Ch'üan, Yüan). Thirty sapèques sewn on boards. Beautiful. T.B. Very fine. Sapèque (feminine noun): Chinese bronze coin. Ancient Chinese and Indochinese coin of fortune, symbolizing heaven and earth united and bringing protection, luck and prosperity. (Feng Shui). It was in use until the early 20th century. It also had the lowest face value. Its round shape in copper, bronze, brass or iron symbolizes the sky, while the square shape of the central hole symbolizes the earth. The origin of this coin dates back to the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). These coins were cast. The square hole made it possible to thread them onto a square bar, to rotate them in order to remove the metal castings and facilitate transport. Sapèques were sometimes joined together by a cord threaded through the central hole, forming cords or enfilades of varying quantities (100 or 1,000 coins). A cord of 1,000 coins was called a diao and was worth 1 kwan (one ounce of silver). These coins could be strung together to form a sword. This "magical" votive sword was used for symbolic purifications according to the "Feng Shui" rite.