A new Chinese trade initiative has started recently called the Belt and Road initiative tocounter the Transpacific Partnership of the United States. The proposed maritime trade routesand partnerships proposed really are not new, and have been used for thousands of years. Archeologists are just starting to explore the areas involved in this trade, however numismaticevidence has been long known. Our traditional idea of the land Silk Road was named in the 19thcentury and prior to this this trade route didn't have a specific name or this romantic sound,but was a path connecting regional trade routes.

Trade was initially encouraged along thislonger and connected route by Emperor Wu (141-87B.C.) of the Han dynasty in China. The sitesalong this route have been studied much more than the maritime route now being called theMaritime Silk road. The maritime route was more influential and allowed much more valuabletrade through most of its history. Camels were the main mode for carrying goods along muchof the land Silk Road while the Maritime Silk Road used ships. Ships of the time have beenfound that could carry 1000 tons of valuable trade goods (sciencep1445) or the load of 1000camels. Some ships were found that could carry 500 or more passengers. Just like caravancities, port cities were founded to support and protect this lucrative trade (4, p1). Identifyingcoins required to support this trade is a challenging numismatic adventure.

Emperor Wu's accomplishment was connecting the already existing Persian Royal roads withother Central Asian trade routes and exerted military and diplomatic power to permit tradewith the West. This power did wax and wane over time, and forced or encouraged trade via theocean. Even before Emperor Wu the maritime trade had started, though somewhat in pieces.Recent archeologic study shows that South East Asia, once thought to be a backwater, wasactually an important part of world commerce during this time. The Important Khmer cultureat Ankor Wat formed and established a trading port at Khao Sam Kaeo to allow imports to feedneeds of the wealthy during the period 400 B.C. to ca 100 A.D.(6. 1442). Goods discoveredthere were made in Vietnam, India, and China. To the west, India had trade with Somalia andMiddle East ports as well as the East. A Roman writer of the first century wrote about where toget cinnamon and slaves in Somalia, cotton and sesame oil in India and describes sources of silk(6. p1443) Italian excavations of a Roman cargo ship at Anzio in the 1930's revealed a ShangDynasty (c.a. 1200B.C.) bronze vessel. (1. p26).

Dramatically increased trade during the HanDynasty connected China to Vietnam ports with Indonesian ports connected with India, MiddleEast and African traders during this time to make a Maritime Silk Road. During the Han era theshipping was mostly done by Arab trading ships visiting all these ports and leaving wreckedships as evidence of their presence and of the goods transported. Roman coins are found as fareast as Vietnam (6. 1443). The popularity of the maritime route was augmented by the persistent Roman problem with the Persians and Parthians cutting off silk supplies coveted bythe Roman nobility. Despite this obstacle, the silk trade was large enough to require regulationsabout who could wear silk to save the Roman economy from sending all its precious metalcurrency to the East. This trade caused a unique monetary time for the Chinese governmentwhich produced large gold coins as opposed to the usual silver-bronze economy during thisearly period of trade. Probably due to Arab traders not being familiar with Chinese currency, Ihaven't heard of Han dynasty coins being found in these ports (they were certainly found andcopied on the land route). The importance of Chinese coins would change with the next phaseof the Maritime Silk Road. The first coin with a connection to the silk road trade were the Chinese coins. These were produced in 119 B.C, the year Emperor Wudispatched his ambassador to start formal trade on the land route. The dragon coin of 3000cash value was one of three denominations made this year, and soon replaced by the Wu Zhucoin in 118 B.C. The Wu Zhu coin was to be used for the next 1000 years in trade.

The maritime trade and use of Wu Zhu never ceased but with the waning of the Han dynastythe protection of the Silk Road traders also waned, as did the trade, until another powerfuldynasty arose. The Tang Dynasty succeeded in unifying China and controlling the areas aroundChina so that trade was again increased. During Tang times, silk trade continued, but two newtop secret products were sold. One, called porcelain was made by processes not known outsideof China until the 18th century. Tea was another valuable export to be traded widely (connectedto the establishment of Buddhism-allowing extended meditation). As the method of productionof these items was unknown, China had a set of valuable monopolies. By this time the Tanghad established shipbuilding of seafaring ships and Tang Dynasty ships were noted to be tradingin Africa and Egypt. Period Chinese porcelain is found in these areas and was purchased withivory and ambergris from Africa. Arab writers in the era recorded Chinese ships that could carry600-700 passengers, and that these ships were too big to navigate into the Euphrates River (4.p6).

The predominant coin of the Tang Dynasty was the long lived Kai Yuan coinage which finallyreplaced the Wu Zhu coins. Kai Yuan or Inaugural Coins were found in Japan, Korea, Indonesia,and Vietnam and were copied there too, suggesting the widespread use and acceptance. Theportion of the Maritime Silk Road involving trade with Korea and Japan was called the YellowSea Silk Road Some of the imitations are very accurate and are hard to tell if they are local orChinese made. Sometimes original Chinese coins were used to press the image into the moldand reproduce the coin but less sharply though close to the correct size. The coins presentedbelow are mostly of the middle period of the Tang Dynasty with a few from other periodspossibly suggesting need for producing local coinage, during the time of the weakening of theTang Dynasty from external and internal wars. These copies were slightly smaller due toshrinkage of metal after cooling. Some coins were made clearly different in size, writing, rimsize, hole size, thickness and style of casting. Another Tang dynasty trade coin is the less common Tang Dynasty coin call the Qian Yuan. In Korea (Barton) and Japan ( 2., coin2.9,page13), rare copies are found as locally made imitations. It is hard to discern if these arepoorly made imports, or locally reproduced copies, but their presence suggests maritime trade. The Silla dynasty in Korea, the usual trading partner, with China, was on the south tip of thepeninsula and these rare coins found there most likely arrived by sea, if not produced locally. As happens with Chinese dynasties the power waned with some interesting battles in the northand internal battles that weakened the government so the protection of the trade routesdissipated and so did the trade. The coins presented are mostly of the middle period of theTang Dynasty with a few from other periods, suggesting a need for producing local coinageduring the time of the weakening of the Tang Dynasty from external and internal wars.

After the Tang fell, the next dynasty to strengthen trade was the highly industrialized SungDynasty. During this time the maritime commerce exceeded that of the land route. The landroute was closed due to political change as well as climate change along the route, increasingthe maritime trade route. The Chinese increased their trade presence and displaced the Arabtraders during this time. This culture produced the usual silk but also large amounts ofporcelain, paper- a fairly new invention, lacquer ware, and large amount of coin and iron fortrade. The Chinese desired in trade: large amounts of silver, along with army horses, camels,sheep, cotton, and ambergris (4. p7). At this time trade also started with the Philippines, wherethere were forest products sold in trade for Chinese luxury goods (4.p1). Indonesia wasanother important trading location during this time for spices. Song Dynasty made coins arecommonly found and also were copied in Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia. Again some are hard totell if locally produced and others are distinctive. The Indonesian coins were apparentlyofficially sanctioned by the Chinese Emperors, making them politically Chinese coinsThe official Song coins are shown with the Japanese, Vietnam, and Indonesian versions. TheJapanese coins shown are good replicas for the Chinese but others are very crude copies andare thus easier to identify as local products. The better imitations usually are about 22-23 mmdiameter coins approximately the size of actual coins and were made by pressing authenticcoins into the casting mold. The Vietnamese made coins often are smaller about 20 -22 mmand weigh half the expected weight. The Indonesian coins are made thicker but 22 mm indiameter so they weigh near the Japanese standard. They are neatly made copies to distinguishthem for the made coins.

The Song Dynasty eventually fell to the Mongols. This Mongol era of trade is written aboutby the famous Marco Polo who traveled both by the land route and also, as is often ignored,the maritime route of the Silk Road. He brought to Europe a fairly magical impression of theChinese empire. The Mongols made few coins and tried to encourage commerce in papermoney. I don't know of copies of Mongol coins made along the sea routes.

The Ming Dynasty was able to push out the Mongols in 1368 and established the nextimpressive dynasty. An early Ming Emperor Yong Lo is famous for the huge treasure shipswhich traveled throughout the Indian Ocean (and in a somewhat fanciful recent booksuggesting also to Massachusetts) to collect tribute to himself. His ships brought the usual silk,porcelain, and tea, but also gold, silver and copper vessels, and umbrellas. At home he alsoencouraged paper money and discouraged coin use. His coins were famous as large amounts ofthese well-made coins were exported to Japan and became the standard currency there. TheChinese were trying to establish a paper money based economy and wanted to rid themselvesof these coins. This coin was copied in high quality Eireiko Sen with varieties known and also insilver and gold. This is an example of coins being important in the Yellow Sea maritime SilkRoad. This same coin was also copied in Vietnam probably from the Japanese copiessuggesting significant direct trade partnership at the time. Another important Japanese coinwas the Kenei Tsuho which was also copied in Vietnam in quantities suggesting an importantongoing trade relationship into the next Shoganate. The magnitude of the trade may beemphasized by the volume of coinage used. The Chinese received a request from the ShoganAshigaka Yoshimas (1483) requesting 100,000,000 coins (3, p40). Other requests weredocumented of this magnitude at other times as well.

The Europeans also participated in the Maritime Silk Road. European trade with the eastwas hampered by high prices partially caused by the many middlemen over the land and thesea routes. Also the religious differences of the cultures in a time of religious intoleranceencouraged an alternate route to be found- first by the Portuguese in the 15th and early 16thcentury. The Dutch, Spanish, English, and French trader's participation increased the value ofthe trade route. For the Europeans, luxury goods could be obtained more reliably and with vastprofits. Nutmeg spice could be purchased for a small amount of silver to buy a boat load, thentraded in Europe for a 60,000 percent profit (7.), enough to buy a boat load of silver. This tradeconnection with Europe was made during the Ming dynasty in China. For various reasons theEuropean traders were quarantined into small areas of commerce. Hong Kong, Macao andNagasaki, are three examples. The traders required local currency so the Dutch for example,walled off in Nagasaki, Japan, made distinctive and high-quality cash coins, to resemble ChineseSong Dynasty coins needed for trade. They used Chinese inscriptions so as to not upset theJapanese emperor. Even though this trade was made 400 years after the Song Dynasty fell, thecoins were still used in international commerce.

Another poorly documented but important Maritime trade route was established when thefirst American ship arrive in China in 1784 to trade furs and forest products for Chinese luxuryitems. The trade was lucrative enough for this ship to have traveled from New York expectingto make a profit. The Denver Art Museum has Native American Costumes with Chinese coinsfrom this era in one display. I speculate whether these 18th century Chinese coins could havecome from one of these early trades as they are all from the emperor in power at this time. Certainly other sources could have supplied these coins. During the Mountain Man era (prior tothe 1840's) in the U.S., traders were sometimes required to use Chinese cash coins as gifts tobegin negotiations. Currently the Trans-Pacific trade is much larger now. The new trade initiative, the Belt andRoad initiative , is really not new, as evidenced by ancient and less ancient coinage. Time willtell whether the new initiative will repeat the pattern of Western trade money beingsupplanted by Chinese cash and Chinese shipping. The coins presented in this survey ofMaritime Silk Road coinage has been fun to study. Many other coin types exist from this tradenot described in this article. Some must also exist from Western sources, but this is just theEastern perspective.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Bussagli, Mario, Chinese Bronzes, The Hamlyn Publishing group Limited, London, 1969 page26

2. Hartill, David, Early Japanese Coins, , A Bright Pen book, 2011

3. Jones, Roger M., History and Guide to the Copper Cash Coinage of Japan, Morris publishingKearney NE 2007

4. Maritime Silk Road, Facts and Details, factsanddetails.com,

5. Silk Road, dialogue , diversity and development, en.unesco.org/silkroad

6. Sailing Sinbad's Seas, Science, sciencemag.org, 27 June 2014, vol. 344 issue 6191

7. Wall Street Journal, Adventure and Travel section, August 26-27, 2017 .

8. Xinwei, Peng, A Monetary History of China, (Zhongguo Huobi Shi), , Western WashingtonUniversity , 1993

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 4, 2024 : On the Maritime Silk Road(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/club_nbs_esylum_v27n31.html)