A Study On Some Issues Of Monetary History In The Tang Dynasty

From the study by the Kaiyuantongbao which is finded from the representative annals tomp of the early stage of Tang dynasty, the first stroke of "yuan"is a little short’s version is the earliest version, and the point which consider kaiyuantongbao is the only legal way is not correct, both "Kaiyuantongbao" and "Kaitongyuanbao" are the legal ways to read the characters, and this characters have the meaning of showing the new start by the new dynasty, which become to the successive symbol of economic and culture in history, so the version also makes the influence to the currency in other region and later dynasties; a kind of little Qianyuan coin which is ignored by history data is the coin which is reduced weight when the Qianyuan cion turn to have the same price to Kaiyuan coin in the first year of Baoying, and from the Qianyuan coin which signed the name of region is found, Qianyuan coin is at least use to the late stage of Tang dynasty’s Huichang years, and its version became to the classic paradigm of currency designing, which should be attach importance by us. The qianyuan coins which have cloud and bird patterns signed on the back is Zhao zan casted in the fourth year of Jianzhong in Sichuan which is use to reply the insurgency by Huainan, and the patterns have the meaning of pressing evil, which reflect the decline of Tang dynasty; the academic circle’s judgment of Daliyuanbao and Jianzhongtongbao has many defect in demonstration, so the point which consider them are casted by the government of Xiyu can’t be tenable, but the coin which has just one character and found with Dali coin and Jianzhong coin could contact with the Xiyu coins both on shape and version, so it may be the coin which is casted by the Xiyu government; "Quan zhi" book’s record of Xiantongxuanbao is not correct, from the taboo of character we consider it may casted by the Machu government, and the version, calligraphy and casting skills provide powerful evidence to this point; because of the doubt in evidence, the coins which is considered to casted by Liu rengong and Liu shouguan is not made by Liu’s government, and they may be the currency of Shi’s government because of the relation to the record on history data.The "Layang" which is recorded by Zhen qian’s "Huicui" book and quoted by "Tanghuiyao" book means the first sample which is carved by terne metal, it is use to make Muqian coin, and the Tang dynasty is the beginning of use Muqian coin to cast currency. During this time, the type skill is also use to change the character and sign the pattern or character, and the coin of Tang dynasty maybe casted by the die which is made by kaolin; the contradiction in the copper content with the history data is reason by the different comprehend to "Tong", it do not impact the reality of history data, the differences of content by lead and tin is reasoned by the different casting time and the private casting, it is not the evidence to the government lost the control to casting affairs, the content of the coin is different by the time line of the insurgency of An and Shi, it is the conscious change by government, at the early stage of Tang dynasty, the content of tin is high, and the lead is low, because the government want to rise the hardness of coin to avoid the destruction, and also to make the coin more exquisite than the fake ones. At the middle and late stage of the Tang dynasty, the content of lead is rised, because the government want to reduce the cost and imprve the casting efficiency; "qianlu" is the basic unit of casting institution, but it is not completely subordinate by "qianjian", which is the government department controls the coin’s casting, not only the local which have "qianlu", but without "qianjian" is exist, some simple copper factory and "Shaofu" department also have "qianlu", and there is also have the government use "qianlu" to reward’s record. At first, "qianjian" is subordinate by "Shaofu" department, and then turn to controled by local government. "qianfang" is the facilities of processing, transport, storing and casting, it is control by "Qianjian", and its scale is between "Qianlu" and "Qianjian"; at the Tang dynasty the government was begin to check the specimens of coins, but it is different from the mature checking rules in Song dynasty, and the specimens is also like the present to the emperor.The booming of private casting is the result of the development from the "Weijinnanbeichao" times, when the center of private casting built at the Jianghuai area, the government has used so many ways like casting new coin, purchasing and taking over to control it, but get no effect, which show the weak to solve currency and economic problems; by the year of "Kaiyuan" and "Tianbao", the government makes a series of reform, and get some effect, but also cause the hidden danger of lost the casting right to local; after the insurgency of An and Shi, the government casting "Qianyuanzhongbao" which have big price to amass fortunes, and then reduce the price at the same like the Kaiyuan coin which is much light than them when the inflation happened, it makes the casting department and private casting industry lose their cost both, and the destruction by traffic and the high price to transport makes the "qianjian" in Jianghuai area be shut by the government, which affect the currency shortage; after the "Liang shui" rule is promulgated, the hidden danger begin to emerge, the local government which got the right of casting force to levy cash by tex, and hoard the coins to rise the price of currency, some of them even destruct the coins to cast other things to reduce the number of money, to solve this problem, the government makes the credit of cash legal, ban to using copper appliance and hoard coins, and try to take the right of casting back, but haven’t solve the problem, the deflation is still affect after the Tang dynasty.During the Tang Dynasty, the government don’t admit the currency position of gold and sliver. In the middle stage of Tang dynasty, though the commodity economy "get the fast development, the position of gold and sliver is also be limited by the low yield, copper protecting rule, finance service and the consumption by royal count. At the late stage of Tang dynasty, gold and sliver begin to get the importance from society because of their advantage at portable, precious and storable, when the silk’s position down and the finance service is blocked. Though the circulation is be limited by some objective factors, their currency position has returned which know from they express the price and turn to little unit for circulation. In addition the record of using gold and sliver in Linnan area should not be comprehended by using them like money, but changing them like the ordinary materials.