中國古代的貨幣區系、黃金流動與市場整合

春秋以前中國貨幣制度之發展已頗成熟。從春秋到戰國時期，貨幣的流通呈現出多元的形式，包含以三晉地區的布幣，東方齊、燕的刀幣，西方周、秦地區的圓錢，以及南方楚國的以銅貝為主的貨幣系統等四種。戰國後期由於跨國交易的拓展和延伸，四個不同貨幣區塊彼此逐漸相互匯流，加上此時黃金躍身成為戰國列國共同的貨幣，古代經濟世界遂發生了更根本性的變化。先秦黃金產於南方，長江流域為主要產地。考古發現戰國時代做為交易媒介與貯藏之用的金版、金餅為數甚多。出土的戰國金版上呈現的鈐印文字和切成零細小塊的現象，以及伴隨出土為數不少之天平與砝碼，表示黃金不但做為長途貿易、巨額交易以及儲藏的可靠工具，同時也擔負了日常交易的貨幣職能。另一方面，先秦文獻亦見許多戰國黃金流動的史料或思想紀錄。黃金的越區流動，表明黃金已經成為跨國、跨區域市場的共同貨幣。先秦黃金貨幣的確立，標誌著各個不同貨幣區之間分散割裂的市場限隔的打破，使得一個統一的貨幣體系得以形成。整個看來，戰國黃金具有的國際貨幣性質與發揮的作用，是中國古代經濟史的一個重要發展。

關鍵字

貨幣區；黃金；市場整合；戰國；經濟史

並列摘要

This article focuses on currency areas, gold circulation and combination of markets in ancient China. During the Warring States period, with the split-up of the country, different areas of currency were established in the vast territory. The eminent four currencies were Bu (布幣) of ”three Tsins” (三晉), Dao (刀幣) of Ch'i (齊) and Yen (燕), Chien of Ch'in (秦) and Chou (周), and copper cowrie of Chu (楚). They were, namely, spade, knife, round coin and imitation cowry. By the end of the 3rd century B.C., market functions and the Ch'in laws helped to create a common currency in the former international market. That is, the circulation of gold superseded the four existing currencies, thereby forming a unitary market. The unitary market formed in the late Warring States period established the groundwork for the subsequent economic history in China. From the Warring States period on ward, the currency system gradually developed from separation to consolidation. The monetary partition was ended with the official introduction of gold and half tael coin (半兩錢) by the Ch'in government. My purpose here is to analyze the origins, courses and effects of the change of money institutions in ancient China. The formation of a unitary market and the appearance of a common currency are crucial issues in study of Chinese economic history.