A reader ask me via email, why China ancient coin is round but they have a square hole in the middle? What do the China ancient coin design represent? Why do they design it like that? He heard that the coin means strength and prosperity but he don't know if its true.
Not all Chinese ancient coin have a square hole, some early Chinese coins did have round holes.
+in+Qing+Dynasty.jpg "Old Chinese coin made during the reign of Kangxi Emperor (1654–1722) in Qing Dynasty")
The square holes will make it easy to put them on a piece of string. The hole enabled the coins to be strung together to create higher denominations, as was frequently done due to the coin's low value. The number of coins in a string of cash varied over time and place but was nominally 1000. A string of 1000 cash was supposed to be equal in value to one tael of pure silver. A string of cash was divided into ten sections of 100 cash each.
The square holes design also help the coin maker to do their work. By inserting a square rod, the coin maker could hold in place hundreds of coins and still can work on them without them turning.
You also need to know that in the ancient days, many Asians don't have a pocket in their clothes (maybe Asian clothes design don't have pocket at that time). They bring their money in a small bag that they put on their belts or strung their coins on a string and put it on their belt or wrist.
In Chinese ancient times, people believed that the land/earth we stand on are in square shape and sky/heaven above us is round, that were how people felt when they looked at the sky in that time. so that coin stands for heaven and earth or sky and land. Based on the ancient belief, coins round shape stand for heaven, the square hole in the middle stands for earth. The King or Emperor reign title are on the obverse side, showing that the King or Emperor was a supreme ruler of the world.
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