Finer Details about Ming Bank Note
al
The treasury note of Da Ming with its drawings of bags of coins has
been the reference for ‘depiction conformity’ of Sou3 (索) which is
claimed by proponents of MDH (Money-Derived-Hypothesis) for Ma Diao
suits. There has been discussion and disputes posted on the subject in
the past. Here is a bit of additional new detailed information I
found.
That Da Ming money note is on page 35 of Illustrated Book of the
Mahjong Museum (Japan, 1999).
The note has a value of one-qian (贯) which is equal to 1000 wen (文).
A thousand wen is equal to today’s one dollar’s worth. One wen = one-
tenth of one cent. So a dollar = 1000 wen. 千文 = 一索 = 一贯. I quote.
古代以绳索穿铜钱,每千文为一索,或称一贯。
The drawings in the Da Ming Treasury note are showing ten BAGs or
rolls of coins. Each bag contains coins worth 100 wen). The picture
enlarged shows only 10 coins in each bag. Each coin in the bag is
worth one cent. That one-qian (贯) note is a Dollar-bill with the value
of 100 cents in ten bags.
The value of qian (贯) is verified by the Kangxi dictionary, a thousand
wen.
The Treasury note is showing only 100 coins (in bags or rolls and not
in strings). The claim in MDH for “depiction conformity” with
reference to the Ming Treasury note is inaccurate and hence in error.
The claim by MDH proponents the ten bags of coins as ten “strings of
cash” for Ma Diao is questionable or a mistake.
++++++++++++++
With reference to
“ Pan says:
索以貫錢，百文為索。”
That is not the same as what is given in Kangxi dictionary.
Also, that is not what the Ming bank-note shows.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cheers.....
Julian Bradfield
> The note has a value of one-qian (贯) which is equal to 1000 wen (文).
> A thousand wen is equal to today’s one dollar’s worth. One wen = one-
> tenth of one cent. So a dollar = 1000 wen. 千文 = 一索 = 一贯. I quote.
There is no useful sense in which a qian is equivalent to a dollar, so
why don't you just call it a qian?
> The drawings in the Da Ming Treasury note are showing ten BAGs or
> rolls of coins.
But they aren't bags! Can't you see the strings going through them and
tied together at the top?
> enlarged shows only 10 coins in each bag.
That's true, and maybe requires explanation.
On the other hand, the Yuang 200-wen note has two strings, each with a
drawing of actually 20 coins.
You surely couldn't, though, expect an engraver to carve 100 coins on
a wood block? We could do it today engraving on metal, but the Chinese
didn't use metal for printing.
al
> On 2009-05-26, al <a...@ntl.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> > The note has a value of one-qian (贯) which is equal to 1000 wen (文).
> > A thousand wen is equal to today’s one dollar’s worth. One wen = one-
> > tenth of one cent. So a dollar = 1000 wen. 千文 = 一索 = 一贯. I quote.
>
> There is no useful sense in which a qian is equivalent to a dollar, so
> why don't you just call it a qian?
>
That shows a qian note is nothing mysterious. It's like a dollar bill.
The purpose is to demystify the "QIAN" 贯.
> > The drawings in the Da Ming Treasury note are showing ten BAGs or
> > rolls of coins.
>
> But they aren't bags! Can't you see the strings going through them and
> tied together at the top?
>
The magnified image shows a bracket holding the coins together. Look
closely at the vertical bars along each bundle of coins. I do see a
string running from bundle to bundle of the coins. Are the strings
tied to the brackets or running through the coins?
> > enlarged shows only 10 coins in each bag.
I can not see how that ribbon is tied on top of each bundle, but it
would be impractical to string together a hundred coins on a
continuous line; not to mention 1000! Imagine what disastrous result
when the string happens to break.
So it is more practical to have individual bundles of 10's and tie the
bundles with a string externally. In other words, those coins in
bundles may not have a square hole. And if that is the case, the coins
are pennies, not wen. Also that explains why there are only 100 coins
in 10 bundles as shown.
The coins in the picture are pennies; each penny worth 10 wen. One
qian =100 pennies = 1000 wen.
>
> That's true, and maybe requires explanation.
That might be the explanation. The note shows picture of ten bundles
of 10 pennies each held in brackets. A string ties the bundles by the
brackets.
That makes practical sense. A break on the string leaves all bundles
of pennies intact.
> On the other hand, the Yuang 200-wen note has two strings, each with a
> drawing of actually 20 coins.
Similarly, the 20 coins are not wen.
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