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ANCIENT CHINA: WARRING STATES: State of Yan, 400-220 BC, LOT of 9 knife money

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Chinese Coins - Ancient Start Price:260.00 USD Estimated At:350.00 - 450.00 USD
ANCIENT CHINA: WARRING STATES: State of Yan, 400-220 BC, LOT of 9 knife money
SOLD
600.00USD+ buyer's premium (120.00)
This item SOLD at 2026 Feb 23 @ 16:19UTC-08:00 : PST/AKDT
BUYER'S PREMIUM - The Buyer's Premium is $20 per lot or 20% of the hammer price, whichever amount is greater.

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WARRING STATES: State of Yan, 400-220 BC, LOT of 9 knife money, including eight Ming knives, most nicer than average quality, the majority with clear reverse characters; plus a Boshan-style knife with a large and angular ming on the obverse and unclear inscriptions on the reverse, rare; retail value $800, lot of 9 pieces, ex Ilse & Rolf Braun Collection. Ming knives take their name from the character on the obverse, which has traditionally been read as ming but other proposals have been yi, ju, méng, and zhao. A mint for Ming knives was unearthed at Xiadu, to the southwest of Beijing. This was the site of Yi, capital of the State of Yan from 360 BC. Boshan knives are similar in appearance to Ming knives and also have ming on the obverse, but the character is larger and angular. They were issued in the territories of the State of Qi during its occupation by Yan between 284 and 279 BC.Rolf (1937-2016) and Ilse Braun were the founder and the secretary of the European Collectors of Primitive Money (EUCOPRIMO), a well-known organization in the field of ethnographic currency. Based in Germany, the group meets twice a year and issues a yearly magazine. Rolf and Ilse also co-authored Opium-Gewichte, one of the standard references on Burmese opium weights.