From about 500 B.C. to 350 BE, spade money was in common elreul tion outside of the states of Chi and Chou. Various issues bore legends ut many were absolutely plain. Constant wars between the states prevented the rulers of Chou from estab {lishing a staple currency. Each Meudal state (25 to 30 in number at {one time) issued their own coinage or, as a matter of fact, the guild merchants appear to have had this very much in hand and took advantage of their position.
Square-footed, round-footed and pointed-footed pu money was issued not less than 100 or more localities of the feal states during the period 475 to 221 B.C. There is no Way of determining the dates. Many of the places were entirely destroyed during*the conquest by Chin, The salt traders of Chi became richer through their trade, and knife money increased in circulation.
'The cing of Chu assisted in the establishment of three boards of finance: in Yueh for currency, one for gems, another for gold, and a third for coins and silk' 460 B.C) Chu rst conquered Wu and then Yueh, In 336 B.C. King Wei of Chin issued hhis first coinage of the famous an tiang coins, which remained in circulation for many centuries after their first appearance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.