Byzantine Gold Coins in China from the 6th to the 8th Century and Related Issues

Dr. Guo Yunyan (Hebei University, China)

Nov. 23, 2017, 6:00 pm, Universität Hamburg, Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, AS-Saal, 20146 Hamburg

Byzantine Gold Coins in China from the 6th to the 8th Century and Related Issues

Despite its distance from the Mediterranean Byzantine, China has been the site of frequent discovery of Byzantine gold coins since the end of the 19th century. The current but incomplete count is at 42 original Byzantine gold solidi and 103 imitations of Byzantine gold coins or least coin-like objects with Byzantine pattern (15 with two sides, and 88 single sided hollow coins).

Some of them were found in the open field, others along waterways or sea shores, indicating that they might have arrived with travelers, possibly merchants.

22 coins could be associated with 12 individuals in whose tombs they were discovered. Among them was an emperor, but also high nobility and file and rank officers. They all might have a connection to the Silk Road. Interestingly these imitations were not precious enough to be connected with imperial tribute, but might be picked up along the Silk Road and dispatched to officers or noblemen as gifts to ease trade relations.

 

Dr. Guo Yunyan will be a visiting scholar at Universität Hamburg Nov. 21 - Dec. 15. 2017. She finished her dissertation at the Nankai University in 2006. In her thesis she discussed Byzantine coins and their imitations found in China. It remains the most comprehensive numismatic study in this field so far.

Before teaching at Hebei University, she completed a postdoctoral program in the Department of History at the Peking University on the formation of modern Greece.

During her academic formation, she studied at the University of Athens and the Center for Hellenic Studies, Princeton University as visiting student.