The wén (English: cash, Chinese: 文) was a currency denomination used in China between 621 and 1948citation needed. It was the chief denomination until the introduction of the yuan in the late 19th century.
Wén coins of China (Song through Qing Dynasties) and some similar Japanese and Korean coins
Etymology
The character 文, transliterated as wén in pinyin, has several meanings in modern Chinese, including "language". [1] The English term "cash", referring to the Chinese coins, was derived from the Tamil kāsu, a South Indian monetary unitcitation needed. The English word "cash", meaning "tangible currency", is an older word from Middle French caisse.[2].
History
The wén was introduced as a denomination used on cast coins in 621citation needed. It became one of the chief units of currency and was used to denominate both coins and paper money. Other denominations were used, including various weights, based on the liang system, for sycee silver and gold ingots[3].
Until the 19th century, coins denominated in wén were cast, the most common formation being the round-shaped copper coin with a square or circular hole in the centre[3]. The hole enabled the coins to be strung together to create higher denominations, as was frequently done due to the coin's low value. The number of coins in a string (yīguànqián 一貫錢) varied over time and place but was usually 1000citation needed. A string of 1000 wén was supposed to be equal in value to one liǎng (tael) of pure silver[4]. Paper money sometimes showed pictures of the appropriate number of 1 wén coins strung together.
In the 19th century, foreign coins began to circulate widely in China, particularly silver coins such as the Mexican peso. In 1889, Chinese currency began to be denominated in the yuan and its subdivisions. The wén was retained in this system as 1⁄1000 yuan. Traditional style, cast 1 wén coins continued to be produced until the end of the Chinese Empire in 1911. The last coins denominated in wén were struck in the early years of the Republic of China in 1924.
Coins
A Republic of China 10 wén (cash) coin minted between 1912 and 1920
Numerous authorities issued wén coins in the nineteenth century, including departments of the Imperial government (The Board of Revenue and Board of Public Works) together with provincial authorities. Most coins were 1 wén denominations, but denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 wén were also issued. After the introduction of the yuan, coins were struck in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 wén.
Paper money
A 2000 wén note from 1859
The world's first paper money, issued in China between the 7th and 15th centuries, was denominated in wén. The notes carried depictions of coins, sometimes in strings of ten. The notes of the Yuan dynasty suffered from hyperinflation due to over production without sufficient coins to back them and were withdrawn. Paper money reappeared in the 19th century. In 1853, notes were introduced in denominations of 500, 1000 and 2000 wén. 5000 wén notes followed in 1856, with 10,000, 50,000 and 100,000 wén notes added in 1857. The last of these notes were issued in 1859.
External influence
Early Korean and Japanese currencies, the Korean mun and Japanese mon, were derived from the Chinese wén. In 1695, the Shogunate placed the Japanese character gen (元) on the obverse of copper coins.[5]
See also
References
- Krause, Chester L. and Clifford Mishler (1991). Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1801-1991, 18th ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-150-1.
- Pick, Albert (1994). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues, Colin R. Bruce II and Neil Shafer (editors), 7th ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-207-9.
- Isaac Titsingh. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652]. Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. (Digitized text copy (French))
- This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
External links
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