The five-baht coin was the copper currency of the Han Dynasty.
Even during the Jing Dynasty, the five baht coins of the Han Dynasty were still used so far. The money was engraved with the two seal characters "五铢", hence the name five baht coins. In the fourth year of Yuanding, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued an order prohibiting the minting of coins by counties and counties. The coins minted privately in various places were transported to the capital for destruction.
After the founding of Jingguo, Zhang Xiu also began to prepare for the casting of Jingguo coins. Because minting money is not only related to the economic market, but also establishes the credibility of the court, stabilizes the domestic market, and prevents things from other countries from being freely circulated in the country and prevents small tricks.
The matter of making money is bigger than the sky, so Zhang Xiu cannot just arrange people to do it casually.
After careful consideration, he decided to leave the matter of coining money to his father-in-law, Huang Chengyan. A special Dajing Tongbao Bank was established and began to develop copper coins.
But this is easier said than done.
The first is the search for copper mines. Originally, due to frequent wars in the late Han Dynasty, the amount of copper mining decreased seriously, and the number of copper mines was naturally pitiful. Fortunately, the copper deposits in Qinling and Bingzhou are relatively abundant.
After several months of searching, several relatively large copper mines were finally identified.
In three months, Huang Chengyan made the first batch of copper coins after careful research and development. The style was still the original round square hole coins, but compared with the previous five-baht coins of the Han Dynasty, the copper content was very different. . After all, Zhang Xiu's purpose of casting money was for currency circulation, not to whitewash peace.
In the study pavilion.
Zhang Xiu held the newly minted money in his hand and looked carefully. The round square hole money was engraved with the four words "Dajing Tongbao" in seal script. The newly minted money had a bright luster and looked very good. Huang Chengyan was obviously interested in it.
"Xiang Jia, how is the ratio of making money and exchanging silver that you have planned?" Zhang Xiu asked, staring at the copper coins in his hand.
"Back to the emperor, the official price set by our Shangcheng Pavilion is two thousand coins for one tael of silver." Jia Xiang and the others had already discussed the exchange ratio.
Zhang Xiu nodded and asked Huang Chengyan: "What is the ratio of copper to lead in this copper coin?"
Huang Chengyan: "Back to the emperor, according to your instructions, the proportion of copper coins is four copper and six lead." Although he didn't know why Zhang Xiu had such an arrangement when casting coins, he didn't dare to disobey it. However, the handwriting on the money made is a bit blurry and not as good-looking as the money made with copper, six and lead four.
Zhang Xiu smiled and looked at Huang Chengyan: "Do you have anything to ask?"
Huang Chengyan stood up: "Yes, Your Majesty, what you are holding in your hand is a coin made of four copper, four lead and six lead." He took out three more copper coins from his arms. The style and color were much better than before, "This is what I ordered. Compared with the copper coins made from six copper and four lead, I prefer the latter."
Zhang Xiu just hummed.
He picked up the three copper coins, looked at them carefully, and said with a smile: "Sure enough, the ones with six copper coins and four lead coins look better, but there is a reason why I asked you to make money according to six lead coins and four copper coins. You sit down first." Xiu pointed to the chair next to him, "Do you know the dangers of copper six and lead four?"
This is a sentence that asks and answers itself.
Jia Xu and others all looked attentive and waited quietly.
Zhang Xiu said meaningfully: "'Three years to clear the magistrate, ten years to make snowflake silver', this is not an exaggeration. Copper coins made of six copper and four lead are beautiful and beautiful, but they have a huge drawback. That is copper, You all know that the value of copperware is very good. If we make money according to the copper six lead four, someone must collect the copper coins, melt them and remake them, extract the copper and make copperware, and you can make dozens of times profit by flipping it."
The people waiting around Zhang Xiu are all fine people.
Immediately I understood the power of it.
Not only for this reason, because a large amount of copper coins are being smelted, the number of copper coins circulating in the market will inevitably decrease. Things are rarer and more expensive, and the value of copper coins will increase because of the scarcity. Originally the official price was one tael of silver for two thousand cents, but later it would become one tael of silver for eight hundred or one thousand cents.
A problem arises.
The common people had no money, so they had to pay taxes according to the official price, that is, one to two thousand. Corrupt officials would exchange it for silver on the market at a ratio of one to eight hundred, so that they could make huge profits from it.
Everyone was so frightened that they broke out in a sweat when they wanted to understand the danger involved.
Fortunately, it was proposed before the money was minted. If it had been left at a later stage, this situation would have been very terrible. What was originally meant to benefit the people has turned into something that harms them.
At the same time, I was also shocked by Zhang Xiu's profound research.
Jia Xu said sincerely: "The emperor's sage is far away, and I am ashamed. I did not expect the power of this." Li Ru and others also immediately stood up to express their shame.
Zhang Xiu smiled and motioned for them to sit down, "The proportions of copper must be recorded in the ancestral precepts of Dajing, and no future rulers can modify them. If the proportions of copper are less, profiteers will lose their original profits from smelting. , ensuring the value and circulation ratio of Dajing Tongbao. Just do it according to copper, four, lead and six."
"Here!" Huang Chengyan responded.
Jia Xu asked: "Your Majesty, when new money comes out, how do you recycle the old money?"
Zhang Xiu looked at Jia Xu and said, "You are in charge of the household department. Do you have any good suggestions in this regard?"
Jia Xu said: "Exchange at equal value. Although the five-baht coin is old money, the people only have old money in their hands. If the old money is devalued, the people's interests will definitely be lost. I suggest that the five baht coins be exchanged at equal value and the old money be taken back and smelted." Make new money.”
Zhang Xiu thought for a while and said, "I'm afraid this won't mobilize the enthusiasm of the people."
"Then add grain as a gift." Zhuge Liang suddenly said, "If you want to quickly realize the circulation of new money, you must quickly recycle the old money. Without profit motivation, the people's enthusiasm will be low, which will delay the circulation of new money. Increase temptation. Only by working hard can we speed up the pace of repayment.”
Jia Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Not long after the country started collecting taxes, it added half a million troops and hundreds of thousands of horses, which was a huge expense. There is not a lot of food and grass in the country, it can only be said to be just enough. If grain and grass were used to promote the circulation of new money, the pressure on the household department would be too great. Fortunately, the autumn harvest was about to begin.
Originally, Jia Xu was thinking about storing more grain in the treasury, so he might have to mobilize troops next year, but Zhuge Liang started to think about grain. After all, it was a good direction, and Jia Xu had no reason to refuse.
Of course Zhang Xiu knew the situation of the treasury.
But this is a major matter that affects the substantial interests of the people of Jingguo, and must be considered carefully and carefully. So he looked at Liu Ye and asked, "Zi Yang, do you think I will change my promise to Cao Cao to withdraw the border troops on Songshan Mountain?"
If the border troops are withdrawn, the pressure on food and grass will be reduced sharply.
Liu Ye pondered for a while and thought, "I think it's better to agree. Even if there is an emergency war, our official road to Jingguo is open, and we can reach the battlefield in three days. It has high mobility, and we are not afraid of Cao Wei's regrets, and can also reduce the problem of food and grass." pressure."
Zhang Xiu: "Okay, let's discuss this matter first. The new money will be quickly produced and put into the market. I will immediately issue an order to use Dajing Tongbao for circulation throughout the country. The value of the five baht coins will remain unchanged and can be exchanged at various government offices."
"Here!"
Everyone stood up and left.
