In these days of ingeuis tht deceive even the connoisseur, it is encouraging to observe an occasional find" of real, unmistakable antiquities, Such a "Gud? was made this year in Chi Mei (HIE) Hsien, in South-Kastern Shan. tung, Some 60 specimens of the Tstin (3B) Dynasty chin known as Ming Sword Gash (BY ZJ) were found in an earthen vessel, by a farmer who was terracing " hill-side. Fifty-four of theca specimens wore placed i my hands by the present owner, for identi fication, and 33 district, varieties of this emall and rare sword cash" have been clourly identified. These cash fall naturally into three groups, according to the leading character on the reverse, to wit Bg" Zo, and [J (Right, Left, and Mouth). OF the 51 identified specimens, 9 belong to the FZ group, 13 two the OF group, and 11 to the [J group, the rest being duplicates, while only 3 remain unintelligible.
TheChinese work on numismatics, Ku Ob'uan Huei (By Fe BE) with its supple. ment, rec guises 355 varieties of the Ming Sword Cash, so our aforesaid "find" ree presents " bare i, th of the possible seri The cash are ascribed to Chan Siao Wang (BH BEAL) of the Tein Ge) Dynasty, bout 245 B.C., and are now in a private Collection at this place.
Wei Hiev, 8th September.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.