Warring States Period. State of Qi "Five Character" Knife Money ND (440-220 BC) Certified 82 by Gong Bo Grading, FD-354, Hartill-4.2as (Rare), Jen-964, cf. Thierry-337. 185x28mm. 59.5gm. The obverse characters read: "Ji Mo Zhi Fa Hua" (Jimo's Legal Money), and the reverse reads: "Da Xing." A very rare knife money type that occurs very infrequently on auction and is much more difficult to locate than the three character "Qi Fa Hua" knives. For his part, Thierry records that the city of Jimo, located in the eastern part of the kingdom, was one of the most important cities of Qi. Though Hartill does not provide a translation of the reverse characters, he suggests that these are one of four character groups recorded for the type that may refer to historical events. Endowed with an apple-green and earthen red patina, this specimen completely conforms with the model of high-quality knives characteristic of the early Warring States period, when their larger size permitted not only a more careful execution of the calligraphy, but also a more measured design that included an outer raised border to protect against wear. The last example to bear this character pattern of which we are aware brought $15,000 in December 2015, clearly pointing to the immense desirability of high-quality pieces. Additionally sold with a photo-certificate from Gong Bo.

HID09801242017

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