Chinese numismatic charm

Yansheng coins (traditional Chinese: 厭勝錢; simplified Chinese: 厌胜钱; pinyin: yàn shèng qián), commonly known as Chinese numismatic charms, refer to a collection of special decorative coins that are mainly used for rituals such as fortune telling, Chinese superstitions, and feng shui. They originated during the Western Han dynasty as a variant of the contemporary Ban Liang and Wu Zhu cash coins. Over the centuries, they evolved into their own commodity, with many different shapes and sizes. Their use was revitalized during the Republic of China era. Normally, these coins are privately funded and cast by wealthy families for their own ceremonies, although various governments or religious orders have cast a few types over the centuries. Chinese numismatic charms typically contain hidden symbolism and visual puns. Unlike cash coins, which usually have only two or four Hanzi on one side, Chinese numismatic charms often have more characters and sometimes pictures on the same side.

Although Chinese numismatic charms are not legal tender, they used to circulate on the Chinese market alongside regular government-issued coinage. The charms were considered valuable because they were often made of copper alloys, and Chinese coins were valued by their weight in bronze or brass. In some cases, charms were made from precious metals or jade.^[1] In certain periods, some charms were used as alternative currencies. For example, "temple coins" were issued by Buddhist temples during the Yuan dynasty when the copper currency was scarce or when copper production was intentionally limited by the Mongol government.

Yansheng coins are usually heavily decorated with complicated patterns and engravings.^{[citation needed]} Many of them are worn as fashion accessories or good luck charms. The Qing-dynasty-era cash coins have inscriptions of the five emperors Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing, which are said to bring wealth and good fortune to those who string these five coins together.^[2]^[3]

Chinese numismatic talismans have inspired similar traditions in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and often talismans from these other countries can be confused for Chinese charms due to their similar symbolism and inscriptions. Chinese cash coins themselves may be treated as lucky charms outside of China.

Etymology

The formal name for these coins, and the word's pronunciation, was Yasheng coin or money (traditional Chinese: 押胜钱; simplified Chinese: 压胜钱; pinyin: yā shèng qián), but in common modern usage Yansheng is the widely accepted pronunciation and spelling.

Yansheng coins are also known as "flower coins" or "patterned coins" (traditional Chinese: 花錢; simplified Chinese: 花钱; pinyin: huā qián). They are alternatively referred to as "play coins" (wanqian, 玩钱) in China. Historically, the term "Yansheng coins" was more popular, but in modern China and Taiwan the term "flower coins" has become the more common name.^[4]

History and usage

Yansheng coins first appeared during the Western Han dynasty as superstitious objects used to communicate with the dead, to pray for favorable outcomes, to terrify ghosts, or to serve as lucky money.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial government issued coins for national festivals or ceremonies such as the emperor's birthday. It was common for the emperor's sixtieth birthday to be celebrated by issuing a charm with the inscription Wanshou Tongbao (萬夀通寶), because 60 years symbolizes a complete cycle of the 10 heavenly stems and the 12 earthly branches.^[5]^[6]

In the case of these coins, "charm" in this context is a catchall term for coin-shaped items which were not official (or counterfeit) money.^[7] However, these numismatic objects were not all necessarily considered "magical" or "lucky", as some of these Chinese numismatic charms can be used as "mnemonic coins".^[7] The term is further used to identify some gambling tokens that were based on Chinese cash coins or incorporate such designs.^[8]

Origins

The earliest Chinese coinage bore inscriptions that described their place of origin during the Warring States period and sometimes their nominal value. Other forms of notation included circles representing the sun, crescents representing the moon, and dots representing the stars, as well as blobs and lines. These symbols sometimes protruded from the surface of the coin (Chinese: 阳文; Pinyin: yáng wén), and sometimes they were carved, engraved, or stamped (Chinese: 阴文; Pinyin: yīn wén). These symbols would eventually evolve into Chinese charms, with coins originally being used as charms.

Dots were the first and most common symbol on ancient Chinese cash coins, such as the Ban Liang coins, and were most common during the Han dynasty. These symbols were usually on the obverse side of the coins and were probably carved as a part of the mold, meaning that they were intentionally added. Crescent symbols on both the obverse and reverse sides of coins were added around the same period as the dots. After this, both regular Chinese numerals and counting rod numerals began to appear on cash coins during the beginning of the Eastern Han dynasty. Chinese characters began to appear on these early cash coins, which could mean they were intended to circulate in certain regions or might indicate the names of the mints that struck them.

Coins issued under Emperor Wang Mang of the Xin dynasty had a distinctive appearance compared to Han dynasty coinage; they were later used as the basis for many Chinese amulets and charms.^[9]^[10]

Ancient Chinese texts refer to the Hanzi character for "star" (星) to not exclusively refer to the stars that are visible at night, but also have an additional meaning of "to spread" and "to disseminate" (布, bù). Other old Chinese sources stated that the character for "star" was synonymous with the term for "to give out" and "to distribute" (散, sàn). Based on these associations and the links between coinage and power, it was understood that cash coins should be akin to the star-filled night sky: widespread, numerous, and distributed throughout the world.

Another hypothesis on why star, moon, cloud and dragon symbols appeared on Chinese cash coins is that they represent yin and yang and the wu xing – a fundamental belief of the time – and specifically the element of water (水). The Hanzi character for a "water spring" (泉) also meant "coin" in ancient China. In Chinese mythology, the moon was an envoy or messenger from the heavens, and water was the cold air of yin energy that was accumulated on the moon. The moon was the spirit in charge of water in Chinese mythology, and the crescent symbols on cash coins could indicate that they were meant to circulate like water, which flows, gushes, and rises. The symbolism of "clouds" or "auspicious clouds" may refer to the fact that clouds bring rain; the I Ching mentions that water appears in the heavens as clouds, again implying that cash coins should circulate freely. The appearance of wiggly lines that represent Chinese dragons happened around this time and may have also been based on the wu xing element of water, as dragons were thought to be water animals that were the bringers of both the winds and the rain; the dragons represented the nation, with freely flowing currency. In later Chinese charms, amulets, and talismans, the dragon became a symbol of the Chinese emperor, the central government of China, and its power.^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]

Later developments

Most Chinese numismatic charms produced from the start of the Han dynasty until the end of the Northern and Southern dynasties (206 BCE – 589 CE) were very similar in appearance to the Chinese cash coins that were in circulation. The only differentiating factor that Chinese talismans had at the time was the symbols on the reverse of these coins. These symbols included tortoises, snakes, double-edged swords, the sun, the moon, stars, depictions of famous people, and the twelve Chinese zodiacs. The major development and evolution of Chinese numismatic talismans occurred from the Six Dynasties through the Mongol Yuan dynasty. It was during this era that Chinese numismatic charms began to feature inscriptions wishing for "longevity" and "happiness", and these charms and amulets became extremely common in Chinese society. Taoist and Buddhist amulets also began to appear during this period, as did marriage coin charms with "Kama Sutra-like" imagery. Chinese numismatic charms also began to be made from iron, lead, tin, silver, gold, porcelain, jade, and paper. These charms also featured new scripts and fonts such as regular script, grass script, seal script, and Fulu (Taoist "magic writing" script). The association of Chinese characters into new and mystical forms added hidden symbolism.^[15]^[16]

Charms with inscriptions such as fú dé cháng shòu (福德長壽) and qiān qiū wàn suì (千秋萬歲, 1,000 autumns, 10,000 years)^[17] were first cast around the end of the Northern dynasties period and continued through the Khitan Liao, Jurchen Jin, and Mongol Yuan dynasties. During the Tang and Song dynasties, open-work charms began to include images of Chinese dragons, qilin, flowers and other plants, fish, deer, insects, Chinese phoenixes, and people. The open-work charms from this era were used as clothing accessories, adornment, or to decorate horses. The very common charm inscription cháng mìng fù guì (長命富貴) was introduced during the Tang and Song dynasties, when the reverse side of these talismans began to feature Taoist imagery, such as yin-yang symbols, the eight trigrams, and the Chinese zodiac. During the Song dynasty, a large number of Chinese talismans were cast, especially horse coins, which were used as gambling tokens and board game pieces. Fish charms meant to be worn around the waist were introduced during the reign of the Khitan Liao. Other new types emerged during the Jurchen Jin dynasty, influenced by steppe culture and the arts of the Jurchen people. The Jin dynasty merged Jurchen culture with Chinese administration, and the charms of the Jin dynasty innovated on the talismans of the Song dynasty, which used hidden symbolism, allusions, implied suggestions, and phonetic homonyms to convey meaning. Under the Jurchens, new symbols emerged: a dragon representing the emperor, a phoenix representing the empress, tigers representing ministers, lions representing the government as a whole, and cranes and pine trees symbolizing longevity. Hidden symbolism, such as jujube fruits for "morning or early" and chickens symbolizing "being lucky", also emerged under the Jurchens.

Under the Ming and Manchu Qing dynasties, there was an increased manufacture of amulets with inscriptions that wished for good luck and celebrated events. These numismatic talismans depict what is called the "three many": happiness, longevity, and having many progeny. Other common wishes included those for wealth and for attaining a high rank in the imperial examination system. During this period, more Chinese numismatic talismans began to use implied and hidden meanings through visual puns. This practice was particularly expanded upon during the Manchu Qing dynasty.^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21]

Styles

Unlike government-issued Chinese cash coins, which typically have only four characters, Chinese numismatic charms often have more characters and may depict various scenes.^[22] They can come in several different styles:

carved or engraved (Chinese: 镂空品; pinyin: lòukōng pǐn)
- with animal
- with people
- with plants
words or characters on coin (Chinese: 钱文品; pinyin: qián wén pǐn)
sentences or wishes (Chinese: 吉语品; pinyin: jí yǔ pǐn)
Chinese zodiac (Chinese: 生肖品; pinyin: shēngxiào pǐn)
Taoism, Bagua (Chinese: 八卦品; pinyin: bāguà pǐn), or Buddhism gods (Chinese: 神仙佛道品; pinyin: shénxiān fó dào pǐn)
Horses or military themes (Chinese: 打马格品; pinyin: dǎ mǎ gé pǐn)
Abnormal or combined styles (Chinese: 异形品; pinyin: yìxíng pǐn)

Early Chinese numismatic charms were typically cast until machine-struck coinage appeared in China during the 19th century.

A large number of Chinese numismatic charms have been cast over a period more than 2000 years, these charms have evolved with the changing culture as time passed which is reflected in their themes and inscriptions.^[23] In his 2020 work Cast Chinese Amulets British numismatist and author David Hartill had documented over 5000 different types of Chinese numismatic charms.^[23] Traditionally, catalogues of these amulets are arranged in various ways, such as by shape, size, the meaning of the charms, the Emperor's name, or any other common feature.^[23] While other catalogues deliberately avoid such categorizations as it would not be immediately clear to a novice (non-expert) whether an individual Chinese amulet would be considered to be a "Lucky", "Religious", "Family", or "Coin" type charm.^[23]

Types of Chinese charms

By function

Good luck charms

Chinese numismatic "good luck charms" or "auspicious charms" are inscribed with various Chinese characters representing good luck and prosperity. There was a popular belief in their strong effect, and they were traditionally used to scare away evil and protect families. They generally contain either four or eight characters wishing for good luck, good fortune, money, a long life, many children, and good results in the Imperial examination system.^[24] Some of these charms used images or visual puns to make a statement wishing for prosperity and success. Some feature pomegranates, which symbolise the desire for successful, skilled male children to strengthen the family and continue its lineage.^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]

Another common theme in Chinese numismatic charms is a rhinoceros. Its depiction is associated with happiness because the Chinese words for "rhinoceros" and "happiness" are both pronounced xi. The rhinoceros became extinct in Southern China during the ancient period, and the animal became enshrined in myth, with legends that the stars in the sky were reflected in the veins and patterns of a rhinoceros' horn. The horn of the rhinoceros was believed to emit a vapour that could penetrate bodies of water, traverse the skies, and open channels for direct communication with the spirits.^[29]^[30]^[31]

Some good luck charms contain inscriptions such as téng jiāo qǐ fèng (騰蛟起鳳, "a dragon soaring and a phoenix dancing" which is a reference to a story of Wang Bo),^[32] lián shēng guì zǐ (連生貴子, "May there be the birth of one honorable son after another"),^[33] and zhī lán yù shù (芝蘭玉樹, "A Talented and Noble Young Man").^[34]

Safe journey charms

Safe journey charms are a major category of Chinese numismatic charms, which were produced out of a concern for personal safety while traveling. One side would usually have an inscription wishing the holder of the charm a safe journey, while the other would feature common talisman themes such as the Bagua, weapons, and stars. It is believed that the Boxers used safe journey charms as badges of membership during their rebellion against the Manchu Qing dynasty.^[35]

Peace charms

Peace charms (Traditional Chinese: 天下太平錢; Simplified Chinese: 天下太平钱; Pinyin: tiān xià tài píng qián) have inscriptions wishing for peace and prosperity and are based on Chinese coins that use the characters 太平 (tài píng).^[36]^[37]^[38] These coins are often considered to have charm-like powers.

An archeological find of the 1980s established that they were first cast by the Kingdom of Shu after the collapse of the Han dynasty. This coin bore the inscription tài píng bǎi qián (太平百錢), was worth one hundred Chinese cash coins, and bore a calligraphic style which resembled charms more than contemporary coinage. During the Song dynasty, Emperor Taizong issued a coin with the inscription tài píng tōng bǎo (太平通寶), and under the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor appeared a Ming dynasty coin with the inscription tài píng (太平) on the reverse and chóng zhēn tōng bǎo (崇禎通寶) on the obverse. During the Taiping Rebellion, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom issued coins ("holy coins") with the inscription tài píng tiān guó (太平天囯).

Peace charms, privately cast with the wish for peace, were used daily throughout China's turbulent, often violent history. Under the Qing dynasty, Chinese charms with the inscription tiān xià tài píng (天下太平) became a common sight. This phrase could be translated as "peace under heaven", "peace and tranquility under heaven", or "an empire at peace". Peace charms also depict the twelve Chinese zodiac signs and contain visual puns.^[39]^[40]^[41]^[42]

During the Qing dynasty, a tài píng tōng bǎo (太平通寶)^[a] peace charm was created that had additional characters and symbolism at the rim of the coin: on the left and right sides of the charm the characters 吉 and 祥, which can be translated as "good fortune", while on the reverse side the characters rú yì (如意, "as you wish") is located at the top and bottom of the rim. When these four characters are combined, they read rú yì jí xiáng which is translated as "good fortune according to your wishes", a popular expression in China. This charm is a very rare design due to its double rim (重輪), which features a thin circular rim surrounding the broad outer rim. This specific charm has an additional inscription in the recessed area of the rim; an example of a contemporary Chinese cash coin which had these features would be a 100 cash xianfeng zhongbao (咸豐重寶) coin. On the reverse side of this Manchu Qing dynasty era charm are a multitude of inscriptions that have auspicious meanings such as qū xié qiǎn shà (驅邪遣煞, "expel and strike dead evil influences"), tassels and swords which represent a symbolic victory of good over evil, two bats which is a visual pun as the Chinese word for bat is similar to the Chinese word for happiness, and the additional inscription of dāng wàn (當卍, "Value Ten Thousand", the supposed symbolic denomination).^[43]^[44]

Burial coins

Chinese burial coins (Traditional Chinese: 瘞錢; Simplified Chinese: 瘗钱; Pinyin: yì qián) a.k.a. dark coins (Traditional Chinese: 冥錢; Simplified Chinese: 冥钱; Pinyin: míng qián)^[45]^[46] are Chinese imitations of currency that are placed in the grave of a person who is to be buried. The practice dates to the Shang dynasty when cowrie shells were used, in the belief that the money would be used in the afterlife as a bribe to Yan Wang (also known as Yama) for a more favourable spiritual destination. The practice changed to replica currency to deter grave robbers,^[47]^[48] and these coins and other imitation currencies were referred to as clay money (泥錢) or earthenware money (陶土幣). Chinese graves have been found with clay versions of what the Chinese refer to as "low currency" (下幣), such as cowrie shells, Ban Liang, Wu Zhu, Daquan Wuzhu, Tang dynasty Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song dynasty Chong Ni Zhong Bao, Liao dynasty Tian Chao Wan Shun, Bao Ning Tong Bao, Da Kang Tong Bao, Jurchen Jin dynasty Da Ding Tong Bao, and Qing dynasty Qian Long Tong Bao cash coins. Graves from various periods have also been found with imitations of gold and silver "high currency" (上幣), such as Kingdom of Chu's gold plate money (泥｢郢稱｣(楚國黃金貨)), yuan jin (爰金), silk funerary money (絲織品做的冥幣), gold pie money (陶質"金餅"), and other cake-shaped objects (冥器). In modern use, Joss paper replaces clay replicas and is burned rather than buried with the deceased.^[49]^[50]^[51]

"Laid to Rest" burial charms

Chinese "Laid to Rest" burial charms are bronze funerary charms or coins usually found in graves. They measure from 2.4 to 2.45 centimetres (0.94 to 0.96 in) in diameter with a thickness of 1.3 to 1.4 millimetres (0.051 to 0.055 in), and they contain the obverse inscription rù tǔ wéi ān (入土为安), which means "to be laid to rest", while the reverse is blank. These coins were mostly found in graves dating to the late Qing dynasty, though one was found in a hoard of Northern Song dynasty coins. The wéi is written using a simplified Chinese character (为) rather than the traditional Chinese version of the character (為). These coins are often excluded from numismatic reference books on Chinese coinage or talismans due to numerous taboos, as they were placed in the mouths of the dead and are considered unlucky and disturbing, and are undesirable to most collectors.^[52]^[53]^[54]^[55]

Marriage and sex education charms

Chinese marriage charms (Traditional Chinese: 夫婦和合花錢; Simplified Chinese: 夫妇和合花钱; Pinyin: fū fù hé hé huā qián) are Chinese numismatic charms or amulets that depict scenes of sexual intercourse in various positions. They are known by many other names, including secret play coins (Traditional Chinese: 秘戲錢; Simplified Chinese: 秘戏钱; Pinyin: mì xì qián),^[56] secret fun coins, hide (evade) the fire (of lust) coins (Traditional Chinese: 避火錢; Simplified Chinese: 避火钱; Pinyin: bì huǒ qián), Chinese marriage coins, Chinese love coins, Chinese spring money (Traditional Chinese: 春錢; Simplified Chinese: 春钱; Pinyin: chūn qián), Chinese erotic coins, and Chinese wedding coins. They illustrate how the newlywed couple should behave on their wedding night to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations to have children. They may depict dates and peanuts symbolising the wish for reproduction, lotus seeds symbolising "continuous births", chestnuts symbolising male offspring, pomegranates symbolising fertility, brans symbolising sons that will be successful, "dragon and phoenix" candles, cypress leaves, qilins, bronze mirrors, shoes, saddles, and other things associated with traditional Chinese weddings.

The name "spring money" refers to an ancient Chinese ritual in which girls and boys would sing romantic songs to each other from across a stream. Sex acts were traditionally only scarcely depicted in Chinese art, but stone carvings from the Han dynasty showcasing sexual intercourse were found, and bronze mirrors with various sexual themes were common during the Tang dynasty. It was also during the Tang dynasty that coins depicting sex began to be produced. Chinese love charms often bear the inscription "wind, flowers, snow and moon" (風花雪月), an obscure verse evoking a happy, frivolous setting. However, every individual character might also be used to identify a Chinese goddess or the "Seven Fairy Maidens" (七仙女). Other Chinese wedding charms often have inscriptions like fēng huā yí rén (風花宜人), míng huáng yù yǐng (明皇禦影), and lóng fèng chéng yàng (龍鳳呈樣).^[57]^[58]^[59]^[60]^[61]^[62] These charms could also be used in brothels where a traveller could use the illustrations to request a prostitute without knowing the local language.^[63]^[64]

Some Chinese marriage charms contain references to the well-known 9th-century poem Chang hen ge, with figures illustrated in four different sexual positions and four Chinese characters representing spring, wind, peaches, and plums.^[65]

A design for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese marriage amulets features a pair of fish on one side and the inscription Eo ssang (魚双, "Pair of Fish") on the other.^[66]^[67] In various Oriental cultures fish are associated with plenty and abundance.^[68] Fish are furthermore noted for their prolific ability to reproduce and that when they swim that this was in joy and are therefore associated with a happy and harmonious marriage.^[68] In Feng Shui, a pair of fish are associated with conjugal bliss and the joys of being in a matrimonial union.^[68]

House charms

Chinese house charms refer to Chinese numismatic talismans placed within a house to bring good fortune to the place, or to balance the house according to Feng shui. These charms date to the Han dynasty and were placed in houses even while the building was under construction; they were also placed in temples and other buildings. Many traditional Chinese houses tend to display images of the menshen (threshold guardian). Some buildings were built with a "foundation stone" (石敢當), based on the Mount Tai in Shandong, with the inscription tài shān zài cǐ (泰山在此, "Mount Tai is here") or tài shān shí gǎn dāng (泰山石敢當, "the stone of Mount Tai dares to resist"). Ridgepoles in Chinese buildings are usually painted red and are decorated with red paper, cloth banners, and Bagua charms. Five poison charms are often used to deter unwanted human visitors and animal pests.^[relevant?] Many Chinese house charms are small bronze statues of bearded old men assigned to protect the house from evil spirits, the God of War, Zhong Kui (鍾馗), and the "Polar Deity". House charms tend to have inscriptions inviting good fortune into the home like cháng mìng fù guì (長命富貴, "longevity, wealth and honour"), fú shòu tóng tiān (福壽同天, "good fortune and longevity on the same day"), zhāo cái jìn bǎo (招財進寶, "attracts wealth and treasure"), sì jì píng ān (四季平安, "peace for the four seasons"), wǔ fú pěng shòu (五福捧壽, "five fortunes surround longevity"), shàng tiān yán hǎo shì (上天言好事, "ascend to heaven and speak of good deeds"), and huí gōng jiàng jí xiáng (回宮降吉祥, "return to your palace and bring good fortune").^[69]^[70]^[71]

Palace cash coins

Palace cash coins are sometimes included as a category of Chinese numismatic charms.^[72] These special coins, according to the Standard Catalog of World Coins by Krause Publications, were specifically produced to be presented as gifts during Chinese new year to the people who worked in the Chinese imperial palace such as imperial guards and eunuchs, who would hang these special coins below lamps.^[72] In his book Qing Cash, published by the Royal Numismatic Society in the year 2003, David Hartill noted that these palace cash coins were only produced during the establishment of a new reign era title.^[72] The first Chinese palace cash coins were produced in the year 1736 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor and tend to be between 30 millimeters and 40 millimeters in diameter.^[72] These palace cash coins were produced until the end of the Qing dynasty.^[72]

These coins contain the reign titles Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi, Guangxu, or Xuantong with "Tongbao" (通寶), or rarely "Zhongbao" (重寶), in their obverse inscription and the reverse inscription "Tianxia Taiping" (天下太平).^[73] These special cash coins were wrapped inside of a piece of rectangular cloth and every time that an Emperor died (or "ascended to his ancestors") the coins were replaced with new reign titles.^[73] Some Tianxia Taiping cash coins were manufactured by the Ministry of Revenue while private mints produced others.^[73] Palace issues tend to be larger than circulation cash coins with the same inscriptions.^[74]

By shape and design

Most Chinese numismatic charms imitated round coins with a square hole that were in circulation when the charms first appeared. As the charms evolved separately from government-minted coinage,^[75] coins shaped like spades, locks, fish, peaches, and gourds emerged.^[76]^[77]^[78]^[79] though most retained the appearance of contemporary Chinese coinage.

Gourd charms

Gourd charms (Traditional Chinese: 葫蘆錢; Simplified Chinese: 葫芦钱; Pinyin: hú lu qián) are shaped like calabashes (bottle gourds). These charms are used to wish for good health, as the calabash is associated with traditional Chinese medicine, or for many sons, as trailing calabash vines are associated with men and carry myriad seeds. As the first character in the gourd is pronounced as hú (葫), which sounds similar to hù, the pronunciation of the Chinese word for "protect" (護) or for "blessing" (祜), gourd charms are also used to ward off evil spirits. Calabashes were believed to have the magical power of protecting children from smallpox, and gourd charms were believed to keep children healthy. Calabashes are also shaped like the Arabic numeral "8", which is a lucky number in China. A variant of the gourd charm is shaped like two stacked cash coins, with a smaller one on top, resembling a calabash. These charms have four characters and auspicious messages.^[80]^[81]^[82]

The gourd charm pictured to the right, which is composed of two replicas of Wu Zhu cash coins with a bat placed to obscure the character at their intersection, forms a visual pun. The Chinese word for "bat" sounds similar to that of "happiness", the square hole in the center of a cash coin is referred to as an "eye" (眼, yǎn), and the Chinese word for "coin" (錢, qián) has almost the same pronunciation as "before" (前, qián). This combination can be interpreted as "happiness is before your eyes".^[83]

Vault protector coins

Vault protector coins (Traditional Chinese: 鎮庫錢; Simplified Chinese: 镇库钱; Pinyin: zhèn kù qián) were a type of coin created by Chinese mints. These coins were significantly larger, heavier, and thicker than regular cash coins, and were well-made, as they were designed to occupy a special place within the mint's treasury. The treasury had a spirit hall for offerings to the gods of the Chinese pantheon, and Vault Protector coins would be hung with red silk and tassels for the Chinese God of Wealth. These coins were believed to possess charm-like magical powers that would protect the vault and bring wealth and fortune to the treasury.^[84]^[85]

Vault protector coins were produced for over a thousand years, starting in the Southern Tang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and continuing until the Qing dynasty. Vault protector coins were typically cast to commemorate the opening of new furnaces for casting cash coins.

Open-work charms

Open-work money (Traditional Chinese: 鏤空錢; Simplified Chinese: 镂空钱; Pinyin: lòu kōng qián) also known as "elegant" money (Traditional Chinese: 玲瓏錢; Simplified Chinese: 玲珑钱; Pinyin: líng lóng qián) are types of Chinese numismatic charms characterised by irregularly shaped openings or holes between the other design elements. Most open-work charms have mirrored designs on the reverse side, with Chinese characters rarely appearing. They tend to have a single large round hole in the middle of the coin, or a square hole for those that feature building designs. Compared to other Chinese charms, open-work charms are significantly larger and more often made from bronze than brass. They first appeared during the Han dynasty, though most of these are small specimens taken from various utensils. They became more popular during the reigns of the Song, Mongol Yuan, and Ming dynasties but lost popularity under the Manchu Qing dynasty.^[86]^[87]^[88]^[89]^[90]^[91]

Categories of open-work charms:

Category	Image
Open-work charms with immortals and people
Dragon open-work charms
Phoenix open-work charms
Peacock open-work charms
Qilin open-work charms
Bat open-work charms
Lotus open-work charms
Flower and Vine open-work charms
Open-work charms with buildings and temples^[b]
Fish open-work charms
Deer open-work charms
Lion open-work charms
Tiger open-work charms
Rabbit open-work charms
Bird open-work charms
Crane open-work charms
Horse open-work charms

24 character charms

24 character "Good Fortune" charms (Traditional Chinese: 二十四福字錢; Simplified Chinese: 二十四福字钱; Pinyin: èr shí sì fú zì qián) and 24 character longevity charms (Traditional Chinese: 二十四壽字錢; Simplified Chinese: 二十四寿字钱; Pinyin: èr shí sì shòu zì qián) refer to Chinese numismatic charms which have a pattern of twenty-four characters on one side which contains a variation of either the Hanzi character fú (福, good luck) or shòu (壽, longevity), the two most-common Hanzi characters to appear on Chinese charms.^[92]^[93]^[94]^[95]^[96] The ancient Chinese believed that the more characters a charm had, the more good fortune it would bring, although it is not known why 24 characters is the default used for these charms. One proposition claims that 24 was selected because it is a multiple of 8, which the ancient Chinese considered auspicious due to its similar pronunciation to the word for "good luck". It may also represent the sum of the twelve Chinese zodiacs and the twelve earthly branches. Other possibilities include the 24 directions of the Chinese feng shui compass (罗盘), that Chinese years are divided into 12 months and 12 shichen, that the Chinese season markers are divided into 24 solar terms, or the 24 examples of filial piety from Confucianism.^[97]^[98]^[99]

Chinese Spade charms

Spade charms are charms based on spade money, an early form of Chinese coin. Spade charms are based on Spade money, which circulated during the Zhou dynasty until they were abolished by the Qin dynasty.^[100]^[101] Spade money was briefly reintroduced by Wang Mang during the Xin dynasty, and Chinese spade charms are generally based on this coinage.^[102]^[103]^[104]

Chinese lock charms

Chinese lock charms (Traditional Chinese: 家鎖; Simplified Chinese: 家锁; Pinyin: jiā suǒ) are based on locks, and symbolize protection from evil spirits of both the holder and their property. They were also thought to bring good fortune, longevity, and high results in the imperial exams, and were often tied around children's necks by Buddhist or Taoist priests. Chinese lock charms are flat and have no moving parts, and their shape resembles the Hanzi character "凹", which means "concave". All Chinese lock charms feature Chinese characters. An example of a Chinese lock charm is the "hundred family lock" (Traditional Chinese: 百家鎖), traditionally funded by a low-income family asking a hundred other families to each gift a cash coin as a gesture of goodwill for their newborn child, vesting an interest in the child's security. Many Chinese lock charms are used to wish for stability. Other designs of lock charms include religious mountains, the Bagua, and the Yin Yang symbol.^[105]^[106]^[107]^[108]^[109]

Nine-Fold Seal Script charms

Nine-Fold Seal Script charms (Traditional Chinese: 九疊文錢; Simplified Chinese: 九叠文钱; Pinyin: jiǔ dié wén qián) are Chinese numismatic charms with inscriptions in nine-fold seal script, a style of seal script that was in use from the Song dynasty until the Qing dynasty. Examples from the Song dynasty are rare. Around the end of the Ming dynasty, there were Nine-Fold Seal Script charms cast with the inscription fú shòu kāng níng (福壽康寧, "happiness, longevity, health and composure"), and bǎi fú bǎi shòu (百福百壽, "one hundred happinesses and one hundred longevities") on the reverse side.^[110]

Fish charms

Fish charms (Traditional Chinese: 魚形飾仵; Simplified Chinese: 鱼形饰仵; Pinyin: yú xíng shì wǔ) are shaped like fish. The Chinese character for "fish" (魚, yú) is pronounced the same as that for "surplus" (余, yú),^[111]^[112]^[113]^[114] so the symbol for fish has traditionally been associated with good luck, fortune, longevity, fertility, and other auspicious things. As the Chinese character for "profit" (利, lì) is pronounced similar to "carp" (鯉, lǐ),^[115]^[116]^[117]^[118]^[119] carps are most commonly used for the motif of fish charms. Fish charms were often used on the belief that they would protect children's health, and featured inscriptions wishing the children who carried them to stay alive and safe.^[120]^[121]^[122]

Chinese peach charms

Chinese peach charms (Traditional Chinese: 桃形掛牌; Simplified Chinese: 桃形挂牌; Pinyin: táo xíng guà pái) are peach-shaped charms used to wish for longevity. The ancient Chinese believed the peach tree possessed vitality, as its blossoms appeared before its leaves sprouted.^{[citation needed]} Chinese Emperors would write the character for longevity (壽) to those of the lowest social class if they had reached high ages,^[123]^[124] which was seen to be among the greatest gifts. This character often appears on peach charms and other Chinese numismatic charms. Peach charms also often depict the Queen Mother of the West or carry inscriptions such as "long life" (長命, cháng mìng). Peach charms were also used to wish for wealth, depicting the character "富", or higher Mandarin ranks, using the character "貴".^[125]^[126]^[127]

Little shoe charms

Little shoe charms are based on the association of shoes with fertility and the Chinese feminine ideal of small feet, which in Confucianism is associated with a narrow vagina, something the ancient Chinese saw as a sexually desirable trait to allow for the birth of more male offspring. Intervention to create small feet was usually accomplished by foot binding from a young age. Girls would hang little shoe charms over their beds in the belief that it would help them find love. Chinese little shoe charms tend to be around one inch (25 mm) long. Shoes are also associated with wealth because their shape is similar to that of a sycee.^[128]

Chinese pendant charms

Chinese pendant charms (Traditional Chinese: 掛牌; Simplified Chinese: 挂牌; Pinyin: guà pái) are Chinese numismatic charms that are used as decorative pendants. From the beginning of the Han dynasty, Chinese people began wearing these charms around their necks or waists as pendants, or attaching them to the rafters of their houses, pagodas, temples, and other buildings, as well as to lanterns.^[129]^[130]^[131]^[132] It is believed that open-work charms may have been the first Chinese charms that were used in this fashion. Fish, lock, spade, and peach charms were worn daily, with fish and lock charms worn mainly by young children and infants. Other charms were exclusively used for specific rituals or holidays. Some Han dynasty era charms contained inscriptions such as ri ru qian jin (日入千金, "may you earn a 1,000 gold everyday"), chu xiong qu yang (除凶去央, "do away with evil and dispel calamity"), bi bing mo dang (辟兵莫當, "avoid hostilities and ward off sickness"), or chang wu xiang wang (長毋相忘, "do not forget your friends"). Others resembled contemporary cash coins with added dots and stars. Some pendant charms had a single loop, while most others also had either a square or round hole in the centre. Some Chinese pendant charms contain the Hanzi character gua (挂, "to hang"), though their form makes their purpose obvious. Although most pendant charms contain pictorial illustrations, the association of Chinese characters into new and mystical symbolic forms reached an even greater extreme when Taoists introduced "Taoist magic writing" (符文).^[15]^[16]

Chinese palindrome charms

Chinese palindrome charms are very rare Chinese numismatic charms that depict what in China is known as "palindromic poetry" (回文詩), a form which has to make sense when reading in either direction but may not be a true palindrome.^[133]^[134] Because of their rarity, Chinese palindrome charms are usually excluded from reference books on Chinese numismatic charms. A known example of a presumably Qing dynasty period Chinese palindrome charm reads "我笑他說我看他打我容他罵" ("I, laugh, he/she, talks, I, look, he/she, hits, I, am being tolerant, he/she, scolds") in this case the meaning of the words can be altered depending on how this inscription is read, as definitions may vary depending on the preceding pronoun. This charm could be read both clockwise and counter-clockwise, and tells of two sides of a combative relationship, which could be read as representing either party:

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Translation
笑他說我	xiào tā shuō wǒ	Laugh at him/her scolding me.
看他打我	kàn tā dǎ wǒ	Look at him/her fight me.
容他罵我	róng tā mà wǒ	Be tolerant of him/her cursing me.
我罵他容	wǒ mà tā róng	I curse and he/she is tolerant.
我打他看	wǒ dǎ tā kàn	I fight and he/she watches.
我說他笑	wǒ shuō tā xiào	I speak and he/she laughs.

The reverse side of this coin features images of thunder and clouds.^[135]^{[further explanation needed]}

Chinese charms with coin inscriptions

Chinese charms with coin inscriptions (Traditional Chinese: 錢文錢; Simplified Chinese: 钱文钱; Pinyin: qián wén qián) featured contemporary inscriptions from circulating cash coins. These numismatic charms use the official inscriptions on government-cast coinage, owing to the mythical associations of Hanzi characters with magical powers, as well as the cultural respect for the authority of the government and its decrees. For this reason, even regular cash coins had been attributed supernatural qualities in various cultural phenomena such as folk tales and feng shui. Some official coin inscriptions already carried auspicious meanings, and these were selected for use on Chinese numismatic talismans. During times of crisis and disunity, such as under the reign of Wang Mang, the number of charms with coin inscriptions seems to have increased enormously.^[136]^[137]^[138] Meanwhile, other Chinese cash coin inscriptions were selected due to a perceived force in the metal used in the casting of these contemporary cash coins; an example would be the Later Zhou dynasty era zhōu yuán tōng bǎo (周元通寶) charm based on cash coins with the same inscription. Even after the fall of the Xin dynasty, charms were made with inscriptions from Wang Mang era coinage like the Northern Zhou era wǔ xíng dà bù (五行大布) because it could be translated as "5 elements coin". Similarly with the Later Zhou dynasty's zhōu yuán tōng bǎo (周元通寶), the Song dynasty era tài píng tōng bǎo (太平通寶), the Khitan Liao dynasty era qiān qiū wàn suì (千秋萬歲, "thousand autumns and ten thousand years"), as well as the Jurchen Jin dynasty era tài hé zhòng bǎo (泰和重寶). Northern Song dynasty-era charms may have been based on the same mother coins used to produce the official government cash coins, with different reverses to distinguish them as charms.^[139]^[140]

During the Ming dynasty, there were Chinese charms based on the hóng wǔ tōng bǎo (洪武通寶) with an image of a boy (or possibly the Emperor) riding either an ox or water buffalo. This charm became very popular because the first Ming Emperor was born a peasant, inspiring low-born people to believe they could also do great things. There were a large number of Chinese numismatic charms cast with the reign title Zheng De (正德通寶), despite the government having deprecated cash coins in favor of paper money at the time; these charms were often given as gifts to children.^[141] During the Manchu Qing dynasty a charm was cast with the inscription qián lóng tōng bǎo (乾隆通寶), but was fairly large and had the tōng bǎo (通寶) part of the cash coin written in a different style, with Manchu characters on its reverse to indicate its place of origin rotated 90 degrees. Some charms were also made to resemble the briefly cast qí xiáng zhòng bǎo (祺祥重寶) cash coins. Later charms were made to resemble the guāng xù tōng bǎo (光緒通寶) cast under the Guangxu Emperor but had dīng cái guì shòu (丁財貴壽, "May you acquire wealth, honor [high rank] and longevity") written on the reverse side of the coin.^[142]^[143]^[144]^[145]^[146]^[147]^[148]

During the 36th year of the

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