Coins Cast In The Ming Dynasty

The coinage of copper in Ming Dynasty was a significant issue to the government. To research on it helps to understand the government better and thus to look further into the relationship between coinage the government and society. This thesis aims to expound coppers' role in Ming Dynasty's government finance and social and the developing tendency of the Ming copper. By analyzing the motives of the copper coinage in Ming Dynasty and doing research on its structure system, the supply of copper and the concrete conditions of the official and illegal coinage.First, this thesis analyzes the motives of the copper coinage in Ming Dynasty. Coinage satisfied the internal need of the commercial and economic development. At the same time, it was a government measure to meet the financial need by monopolizing the right of coinage. Although the coinage of copper in Ming Dynasty generally met these two needs, its focus differed in different phases.Second, this thesis expounds the structure system, the coinage process and the various pieces of the officially-coined copper in Ming Dynasty. By analyzing coppers' structure system and evolution, this thesis obtains a better understanding of the practical situation of Ming Dynasty's coinage and the changes of the coinage right. The shortage of copper was an important factor that influenced the coinage. The government of Ming Dynasty took measures to collect and buy copper, which mitigated the problem but did not resolve it completely. Although the shape and weight of Ming copper varied, it was steady in general. Each emperor in Ming Dynasty coined his special copper. This thesis tries to prove whether Ming emperor coined his previous emperor' copper and how many pieces he coined so as to understand better the concrete situation of the copper coinage in Ming Dynasty.Third, this thesis analyzes the causes of illegal coinage, its practical condition and the measures that the government took to solve this problem. Illegal coinage was caused by its high benefit. Illegal coinage existed not only in non-governmental organizations but also in the government itself. Although the government took various measures to punish illegal coinage, the problem was not really solved at all.Fourth, this thesis proves that the copper coinage in Ming Dynasty was influenced more by the market and economic law and the government control over it weakened.