This is the first book to explore the history of the field of Chinese
numismatics from both Eastern and Western perspectives. Consisting of
four papers that complement each other beautifully, it gives a sound
introduction to the study of Chinese numismatics, focusing on the 19th
century and, crucially, how to think about Chinese money.
In "Currencies of Ancient China from their Origins to the Late Empire",
François Thierry notes how Europeans sometimes understood Chinese money
and sometimes got it completely wrong. In "Numismatic Friendship: Social
Networks of Numismatists and Coin Collectors During the Late Qing
Dynasty", Lyce Jankowski opens up the world of Chinese collectors of
Chinese coins, their networks and motivations. In "A Short History of
Chinese Numismatics in Western Languages", Helen Wang surveys
publications to 1900, giving information about the authors, their
occupations, motivations and areas of interest; and in "Chinese Money
Matters, So Why Does It Have Such a Low Profile?" she looks at the
current situation, and offers routes into the field. In his
Introduction, Joe Cribb reflects on his study of Chinese money and how
it has informed his career in numismatics.
