In 1972, a hoof-shaped ingot was unearthed in XimafengVillage, Dengta County-level City, Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province.

This gold ingot weighs 246 grams. The bottom is in an irregular round shape, its middle section is hollow, and its body becomes narrower towards the top, forming a hoof shape with a wide bottom and a small mouth.This is exactly the gold horse hoof renowned during the reign of Han Wu Di, more than 2,000 years ago.

The gold horse hoof is not the currency used in market exchange, but rather a commemorative coin specially minted to serve as largesse bestowed by the court to celebrate the opening of the Silk Road to the Western Regions and the acquisition of heavenly Hanxue Ma horses.

The horses that Han Wu Di spent countless manpower and material resources to acquire, were the Akhal-Teke horses from Dayuan, an ancient country in Central Asia.They have a reputation for power, speed and a distinctive golden sheen.

Han Wu Di firmly believed that “the heavenly horses will arrive from the western frontier” and composed the Song of the Heavenly Horse, which was passed down to later generations. At that time, Hanxue Ma horses, which played an essential role in battle, were difficult to acquire. These hard-won horses enhanced the strength and courage of the Han Dynasty in its battles with Xiongnu.

This is the context in which gold horse hoof and gold kylin hoof were minted.As a commemorative coin, the gold horse hoof is quite rare,so those remaining have become increasingly precious.

They have been found in many places in Liaoning, such as Pulandian, Dalian，and Dengta，Liaoyang. This suggests that Liaoning was an important region during the Western Han Dynasty.