Rare Ming knife w/Nei Zhong, Yan State, c.300-250 BC, China (H#6ap)

Archaic Chinese character Ming // Nei Zhong (“inside middle"). 138mm, 17.52 grams. Hartill 6.ap
The reading of this character is unclear. All “nei” series knives are rare.

From an old US collection (Norman Frank Collection); Ex-CNG.

Early Chinese knife-coins were distinctive forms of bronze currency used mainly during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (c. 7th–3rd centuries BCE), especially in the northeastern states such as Qi, Yan, and Zhao. Shaped like utilitarian knives but cast for monetary use, they typically bear short inscriptions naming cities, mints, or denominations. Knife-coins reflect a transitional stage between commodity money and standardized coinage, coexisting with spade money and round coins. Their regional styles and inscriptions make them an important source for understanding early Chinese economics, metallurgy, and political geography.

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