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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Found: the world’s oldest known mint and its jumbo product

A mint discovered in China was churning out 14-centimetre-long ‘spade coins’ more than 2,500 years ago.
Spade coins excavated from Guangzhuang mint

Fragmented ‘spade coins’ found at an ancient mint are the earliest known metal currency in China and possibly the world. Credit: Hao Zhao

The world’s oldest known facility to mass-produce coins started operations some 2,600 years ago in what is now China’s Henan province.

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Nature 596, 320 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02181-7

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