A Study on the Coins and Their Uses in the Chinese Han Dynasty Excavated in Japan and Southern Part of the Korean Peninsula.

Abstract

This study is focused on figuring out the changes in the coin use according to its inflow, use and disuse by comparing in what condition did the coins of Chinese Han(漢) era had excavated which have been found a lot in southern part of Korea and Japan. Also, this study suggests several possible causes of concentration of Huoquan(貨泉) in Japan. Since the 2nd century B.C., many polities have been formed in Korean peninsula and Japan and they started to obtain the relics of Han through Nakrang(樂浪) for their political purpose to strengthen their political power. Coins used in Han era are also thought to be obtained as prestige goods or souvenirs at first. To some point in 1st century B.C., coins are thought to be used in exchanging things for everyday life as a number of them were found in middle stops on coastal trade routes. Since it is assumed that there were times when these two forms of trade coexisted, coins must have been brought in various routes. Since the beginning of 1st century, some changes are found in the condition of coins being excavated, which is no longer buried in tombs, but only in coastal areas, and a number of them are excavated in Japan. Especially in Japan, a great number of coins named Huoquan are found due to the intentional spread of Nakrang. It is assumed that Nakrang supplied Wangmang coins to the surrounding areas which had lost their value for currency after the collapse of the Xin(新). Refer to documents and ethnographic examples, it is believe that Huoquan which had supplied to Korean peninsula and Japan might have been used for other uses, not for intended use. There are three possibilities for use: First, they could have been used for other purposes such as passes when Samhan(三韓) people trade with Nakrang, secondly, for foreign currency of Nakrang, and third, they might have lost their values so that discarded. Fourthly, they could be used to pray for the safety of the voyage.