【简译】古代韩国的钱币

The coinage of ancient Korea (pre-13th century CE) first employed Chinese coins, known locally as the oshuchon. Korean rulers began minting their own metal coins from the late 10th century CE, first in copper and iron, and later in bronze. These coins never really gained wide circulation, though, and it would not be until the 17th century CE that coinage fully replaced the barter system prevalent throughout the peninsula. Another form of currency, in use from the 12th to 14th century CE, was the unbyong silver vase, stamped by the state and given an official rate of exchange with staple commodities such as rice; it was shaped like the peninsula of Korea.

          古代韩国的钱币（公元13世纪前）首先采用了中国的钱币，在当地被称为 " oshuchon "。从公元10世纪末开始，韩国统治者开始铸造自己的金属硬币，首先是铜和铁，后来是青铜。不过，这些钱币从未真正获得广泛的流通，直到公元17世纪，钱币体系才完全融入到整个半岛普遍存在的易货贸易体系。另一种货币形式，从公元12世纪到14世纪一直在使用，是unbyong银瓶，由国家盖章，并赋予主食商品如大米的官方汇率；它的形状像韩国的半岛。

早期货币

In early Korea, the system of exchange was principally one of barter where goods were calculated as having a certain value in relation to fundamental commodities such as grain, rice, and cloth. The latter was first hemp and then more typically cotton cloth, known as cloth currency or pohwa. The first known currency used in ancient Korea which was made of metal was knife money (ming-tao-chien), so called because of the crescent, bladelike shape. This came with settlers from China during the Warring States Period (475-221 BCE) and has been excavated at sites in the Pyeongan and Jeolla provinces. The Chinese also introduced coins to Korea when the Han Dynasty invaded the north at the end of the 2nd century BCE. These coins became the official currency and were known as wuzhu in Chinese or oshuchon in Korean, meaning 'five-grain'. The oshuchon continued to be used by the two kingdoms of Goguryeo and Silla up to the 10th century CE. They are commonly found in the tombs of the Nangnang (Lelang) region.

          早期韩国，交换制度主要是以物易物，货物被赋予一定的价值，与基本商品如谷物、大米和布相比。后者首先是麻布，然后是更典型的棉布，这种货物被称为布币或pohwa。古代韩国使用的第一种已知的金属货币是刀币（Ming-tao-chien），因其新月形的形状而得名。这是在战国时期（公元前475-221年）随着中国移民传入的，并在平安和全罗道的遗址中挖掘出来。公元前2世纪末，汉朝入侵北方时，中国人也将钱币引入韩国。这些钱币成为官方货币，在中国被称为 "五铢钱"，在韩国被称为 " oshuchon "，意思是 " five-grain "。直到公元10世纪，高句丽和新罗这两个王国还在继续使用这种货币。它们通常出现在南朗（Lelang）地区的墓葬中。

首批韩国货币

It was during the Goryeo Dynasty (918 – 1392 CE) that Korea first produced its own coins. These early coins, minted from 996 CE, imitated those of the earlier Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE) and were made of iron and copper. Even the 'heavy coin of the Qianyuan period' inscription was translated from the Chinese (Qianyuan zhongbao) to the Korean Konwon chungbo. They did add an identifying 'Eastern kingdom' (Tongkuk) on the reverse side of the coin. As with Chinese coins, the Korea coins had a square central hole.

          在高丽王朝（公元918-1392年）期间，韩国首次生产了自己的钱币。这些早期的钱币，从公元996年开始铸造，模仿早期中国唐朝（公元618-907年）的钱币，钱币由铁和铜制成。甚至连 "乾元时期的重币 "铭文也是从中文（乾元中宝）翻译成韩国的金元重宝。他们确实在钱币的背面添加了一个可识别的 "东方王国"（Tongkuk）。与中国的货币一样，韩国的货币有一个方形的中心孔。

In 1097 CE and 1102 CE copper coins were minted by the Goryeo king, Sukjong. These carried uniquely Korean inscriptions but still continued with the distinctive Chinese square hole design. Marked on one side with the familiar tongbo ('circulating treasure') or chungbo ('heavy treasure'), the other side carried one of the following possible legends identifying them as of Goryeo Korea:

Tongguk tongbo – 'Coin of the Eastern Kingdom'

Tongguk chungbo – 'Heavy coin of the Eastern Kingdom'

Haedong tongbo – 'Coin of the Land East of the Sea'

Haedong chungbo – 'Heavy coin of the Land East of the Sea'

Samhan tongbo – 'Coin of the Three Hans'

Samhan chungbo – 'Heavy coin of the Three Hans'

          在公元1097年和1102年，高丽国王肃宗铸造了铜币。这些铜币带有独特的韩国铭文，但仍然延续了独特的中国方孔设计。一面标有熟悉的tongbo（"流通宝"）或chungbo（"重宝"），另一面则有以下可能的传说，表明它们是高丽国铸造的：

东国通宝--"东国的钱币

东国重宝--"东国重宝"。

海东通宝--"海东之国"的钱币

海东通宝--"海东之国的重币"。

三韩通宝--"三韩之币"。

三韩重宝--"三韩重宝"。

These legends were written in four types of script – the clerical, regular, seal, and cursive. Once again, tombs (e.g. at Gaeseong) have been the best source of ancient coins for archaeologists and historians to study.

          这些铭文有四种字体——隶书、楷书、篆书和草书。墓葬（如开城）再次成为考古学家和历史学家研究古钱币的最佳来源。

银色花瓶

An alternative to coins as a form of payment was the unbyong (aka hwalgu) silver vases which were made from 1101 CE. The vases took the shape of the Goryeo empire and were marked as legitimate currency by having the official state seal engraved on them. Naturally, the vases contained a great deal of silver (600 g or one kun) and so were only useful for large payments. Historians also suggest that they were used primarily by aristocrats and for bribing officials. Unfortunately, no examples survive, but we do know from a 1282 CE law that the value of one unbyong was fixed at between 2,700 and 3,400 litres of rice. Despite their impracticality for smaller transactions, the vases continued to be used over the next two centuries, until King Chungnyeol permitted rough or broken pieces of silver to be used instead at the end of the 13th century CE. By 1331 CE the small vases shaped liked Korea itself were no longer in use.

          替代钱币的支付方式是公元1101年开始制造的银瓶（又称aka hwalgu）。这些花瓶采用了高丽帝国的形状，并通过在上面刻上国家的官方印章而被标记为合法货币。当然，这些花瓶含有大量的银（600克或one kun），所以只适用于大额付款。历史学家还认为，它们主要是由贵族或贿赂官员时使用的。遗憾的是，没有遗物存世，但我们从公元1282年的法律中得知，一个银瓶的价值被固定在2700至3400升米之间。尽管小花瓶在小型交易中不实用，但在接下来的两个世纪里，小花瓶仍继续使用，直到公元13世纪末，忠烈王允许使用粗糙或破碎的银器来代替。到了公元1331年，小银瓶已经不再使用了。

 中国与纸币

No further coins were minted in Korea until the 15th century CE, and as in earlier periods, Chinese coins were imported and used instead. The Sinan shipwreck, which was discovered in waters off the coast of South Korea in 1976 CE, dates to the Song Dynasty (10th - 13th century CE) and contained 26,775 kg of Chinese coins destined for use in ancient Korea.

          直到公元15世纪，韩国都没有再铸造钱币，和早期一样，中国钱币被进口和使用。西南沉船于公元1976年在韩国沿海水域被发现，其历史可追溯到宋朝（公元10-13世纪），其中有26,775公斤的中国钱币，这些钱币本要在古代韩国使用。

The Korean state did produce paper money in the 14th century CE, but it was never issued. Another attempt was made in the 15th century CE when notes were made from the high-quality hanji paper for which Korea was famous throughout Asia. Traders also accepted Chinese banknotes during the Middle Kingdom period. However, banknotes were generally only used to pay taxes, and they struggled to catch on in Korea, where metal coins were used, and trusted, far more widely. No paper money survives from this period.

          在公元14世纪，韩国确实生产过纸币，但从未发行过。另一次尝试是在公元15世纪，当时的纸币是用高质量的韩纸制作的，而韩国的韩纸在整个亚洲都很有名。在中原王朝时期，商人们也接受中国的纸币。然而，纸币通常只用于支付税款，它们在韩国很难流行起来，因为在韩国，金属硬币的使用和信用度都要广泛得多。这一时期没有纸币留存下来。

参考书目：

Jinwung, Kim. A History of Korea. Indiana University Press, 2012.

Ki-baik Lee. A New History of Korea. Harvard University Asia Center, 1984.

Portal, J. Korea: Art & Archaeology. British Museum Press, 2016.

Pratt, K. Korea. Routledge, 1999.

原文作者：Joshua J. Mark

          Joshua J. Mark是自由撰稿人，曾是纽约马里斯特学院的兼职哲学教授，他曾在希腊和德国生活过，并游历过埃及。曾在大学里教授历史、写作、文学和哲学。

原文网址：https://www.worldhistory.org/Korean_Coinage/