#Chinese coins with square hole how to

元寶 'original currency' (pronounced yuan bao).通寶 'universal currency' or 'circulating currency' (pronounced tong bao).However, if you wish to be very literal in your translation, these two 'currency' characters can be translated as follows: The other two characters (usually the right and left) on the coin have the general meaning of 'currency' and do not really need to be translated. In a few cases, the inscription is read clockwise beginning at the top which means the 'period title' characters would be the top and right characters. In this example, the 'period title' is '康熙' (top character and bottom character) which means the coin was minted during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor In the vast majority of cases, the character at the top and bottom refer to the 'period title' ( nianhao 年号) of the emperor under which the coin was cast. History which is discussed at Ancient Chinese Coins with Charm Features.) (This particular coin, incidentally, has a very interesting If you were to write these characters on one line you would write them from left to right as: 康熙通寶 The inscription (legend) on this coin would therefore be read as 康 (character at top), 熙 (character at bottom), 通 (character at right) and 寶 (character at left). The characters on a typical Chinese coin are read in the following order: top, bottom, right, left.

It has four Chinese characters (symbols). The old coin at the left is an example of a typical Chinese cash coin which was cast during the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD). Most Chinese coins are round with a square hole and have four Chinese characters on the obverse side.

#Chinese coins with square hole how to

How to Read the Characters (Symbols) on a Chinese Coin If you already know how to read Chinese coins and charms and are only looking for a translation, please refer directly to this list of inscriptions. Once the correct sequence of characters has been determined, a comprehensive listing of charm inscriptions with English translation is provided to give you the meaning of the inscription or legend. The following is a guide or primer for non-Chinese readers which should help you to determine how the Chinese characters on the coin or charm should be read in the proper order. One of the biggest problems a coin or charm collector faces is trying to decipher Chinese characters so as to identify a coin or to understand the purpose and meaning of a charm. Guide to Reading Chinese Characters on Coins and Charms