Ancient chinese...how to start

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Hello all,
I am starting to expand my collection to ancient chinese coins. So far, the classics wu zhu and ban liang.
Numista and wikipedia list many different coins which makes me confused how to continue the collection.
Anybody has suggestions on affordable chinese coins, which are the most common, etc. I am not looking for rare coins, only some suggestion of which coins you "should have". Also, people usually collect by dynasties or literally by coin type?
​thank you all...xiexie nimen
Hi,
You have selected very interesting area of coins, and at the same time very, very challenging. I have collected Chinese cash coins some 3-4 years and just now I decided that I should try to identify my Wu Zhu and Ban Liang coins. There is own books regarding those coins, for example "One thousand years of wu zhu coinage" by Heinz Gratzer and A.M. Fishman. Chinese started to use wu zhu coins 118 BC and ended AD 958. So there are many different types and variations and that really is a challenging topic. Ban Liang coins are a bit easier because there is not that huge amount of different types.
I'd like most the oldest types of Chinese coins, ant nose money, spades, knifes and so on, but they are not very cheap to buy.
I myself try to finish one area at a time, sometimes one Dynasty is enough, or like wu zhu's or ban liangs. But I have started from Qing Dynasty, like the newest cash coins. There is also many different types but they are cheap (many of them) and much easier to identify and get.
First you have to buy books, cast chinese coins by David Hartill is a must and after that more specific books.
In my collection I have all different coins, not only different types, subtypes and variations and so on. I measure all those coins, too photo and then try to identify. I use Numista, naturally, but Zeno.ru is an exellent web-site also, and many more.

This is how I collect Chinese cash coins.
Hello!
Thank you very much for the answer.
I am always impressed that Chinese coins can be so cheap (the common types) yet so old. Of course, due to the high mintage, but still impressive. The history behind each coin is what attracted me to start collecting it.
I agree with you, I am also attracted to knife, bridge money, and cowries, but they are over my budget at the moment...maybe in a few years!
I am checking the book you suggested and looks exactly what I need, thank you for the suggestion, I will look into the book for sure!
Also, thank you for the view on collecting by dynasty, I think that is something I will do.
Thank you again!
Andre

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