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Yuan Silver Ingots (Yuanbao)

Type Object Region China Time c. 1271–1368

Yuan silver ingots, commonly called yuanbao, were hammer-cast silver currency and tax units shaped like horseshoes or boats, stamped with weight, fin…

Timeline

  1. c. 1271–1300Dadu · North ChinaThe Yuan used Zhongtong notes as legal tender and silver ingots for large payments; the Central Secretariat set fineness standards, and each circuit established equalization bureaus and assay offices.
  2. 1331–1340Hangzhou · JiangnanJiangnan commerce and overseas trade flourished; silver shops in Hangzhou, Quanzhou, and elsewhere cast large quantities of yuanbao ingots, and both grain-transport commutation and salt-certificate settlements relied on silver ingots.
  3. c. 1350–1368Jiangnan countryside · JiangnanAs paper currency depreciated, households and officials hoarded or melted down silver ingots; the many hoards of Yuan silver ingots unearthed archaeologically reflect this mode of wealth storage.

Sources