Silver coin

HARBIN, July 2 ( tasteallchina ) -- At the Jin Shangjing History Museum in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a gleaming thumb-sized silver coin attracts curious visitors. With unique curved edges unlike other Chinese and Western coins, the silver money in the shape of a double-bit ax tells its remarkable history. The silver money minted by the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) government was the first official currency made of silver in Chinese history, said Hu Zhiyuan, director of the interpretation department of the museum. The engraved traditional Chinese characters on the silver indicated its information, with "Cheng'an" representing the name of the era (1196-1200) and "Baohuo" meaning currency, said Hu. The institutions in charge of forging money and its central government management agency were also inscribed on the silver. Hu said the piece's unique appearance and its Chinese inscription reflected the influence of traditional Chinese culture in the Jin Dynasty, showcasing the integration of different ethnic cultures during its century-long reign. The Jin Dynasty, founded by the Jurchen people, ruled over northern and northeastern China, coexisting with the Song, Liao, Yuan, and Western Xia regimes that controlled parts of the country during the historical period. Hu explained that the…