In AD 1616, Nurhaci, the leader of the Jurchen tribes, officially declared himself khan and founded the Jin Dynasty, which was later referred to as the Later Jin, with the regnal title Tianming Divinely Ordained Khan. The new currency minted by the new regime was called the “Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan”, and was the earliest currency of the Qing Dynasty.

The Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan in the collections of Liaoning Provincial Museum is large, and is made of pure copper that is smooth and red in color.  

Inscriptions on the coin are in the old Manchu script used during the early days of the state. The old Manchu script is quite different from the new one found in today’s Manchu books and documents.

On the left is the Manchu inscription a pu kai, meaning “divinely” in Chinese.

On the right is the Manchu inscription fu ling a, meaning “ordained” in Chinese.

At the top is the Manchu inscription han, meaning “khan” in Chinese.

At the bottom is the Manchu inscription ji ha, meaning “currency” in Chinese.

Together, the inscriptions proclaim the identity of the currency.

The Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan was minted during the late stages of Jurchen slavery, when barter dominated economic life and prevented currency from circulating normally among the people.

Therefore, most of the newly issued pieces of Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan were hoarded up by the Eight Banners soldiers, who put the coins in their hats or armor during wars with the belief that the coins would protect them from firearms and metal weapons.

Hence, combined with shamanism, the belief of the Jurchen, the currency became an amulet and was assigned religious meanings beyond its mere economic value, something rarely seen in the history of Chinese currency.

Regarding where the Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan was minted, there are currently two theories: the Hetu Ala theory and the Liaoyang theory. As the center of Eastern Liaoning Province in the Ming Dynasty, Liaoyang was more developed than other regions in terms of its economy, and its technology level was closer to that of the Central Plains. Therefore, Liaoyang could provide support and security for money-casting in a number of ways.

Due to the historical conditions, the currency, issued in small amounts, circulated for only 10 years in a limited area.

Issued by the minority regime in Northeast China, the Currency of the Divinely Ordained Khan is thus especially precious.