Carrying AK into Ming Dynasty

Chapter 792 Credit Currency
"Issuing... currency!" Zhang Wei was dumbfounded.

This is a matter of decapitation, isn't the prince joking again?

"My lord, minting coins privately is a capital crime against the nine clans." Mu Tianbo was also very frightened.

"Look at how cowardly you two are. I'm not stupid. Naturally, it was issued in the name of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Although the time is not ripe yet, the equipment for minting coins must be prepared in advance, right?" Liu Hongjian was annoyed. the way.

"Isn't our imperial household department ready-made? It's the banknote raising department, not the prince. Minting coins is a loss-making business, so we can't get involved!" Zhang Weixian became anxious when he heard it.

Both of them are bigwigs in the business world, so they naturally know which line of business makes money and which line of business loses money.

In Zhang Weixian's view, minting coins is one of the most profitable businesses in the world.

The minting of Ming Dynasty, taking copper coins as an example, the production of copper coins is all manual. A copper coin from copper mine to finished product is so complicated that a mature craftsman can't produce much in a day.

Copper mines need money, managers need money, and craftsmen also need money, but a copper coin is only worth how much money, and the copper coins produced after a month of hard work are not enough to cover the cost. Who will believe this?
But the fact is the case, who said that there is no machine at this time?

And banknotes are even more deceitful. If you talk about it, you have to start with the founding emperor Zhu Chongba. Zhu Yuanzhang set up a treasure banknote lifting department to print banknotes for the Ming Dynasty.

But at this time, people don't know what inflation is, let alone what ordinary equivalents are, so they can print hard.

At first, the old Zhu’s family thought it was cool. When the treasury ran out of cash, they would print banknotes, as much as they wanted, and the printed paper could be used as cash. It was a joy to think about it.

But the good times didn't last long. Due to the excessive issuance of banknotes, things that could have been bought with a tael of silver had to carry a big bag of Daming banknotes if they used banknotes.

The old Zhu's family still printed it with joy, and used the treasured banknotes to reward officials with meritorious service, and even used the treasured banknotes to pay the officials of the court.

In the end, through the expansion to buy a bucket of rice, you need to pull a carload of precious banknotes in exchange. The credibility of the precious banknotes is completely lost, and it becomes the butt wipes of the people until it is abolished 100 years later.

However, the Department of Prosecution of Banknotes of the Ministry of Households still retains the yamen, and even Liu Hongjian's father is still working as a errand in the Department of Judiciary.

After much deliberation, Zhang Weixian felt that Liu Hongjian had to stop Liu Hongjian's interest in making money. They were grasshoppers on the same rope now, so they couldn't mess around.

"What, what, can I take a fancy to the banknotes of the Judiciary? This time I want to make a big deal!" Liu Hongjian waved his hands and began to draw the blueprint he had imagined for the two.

The currency he wants to issue is not Zhu Chongba's kind of precious banknotes without any credit value, let alone copper coins that not only make no profit but also lose money.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty used copper to mint coins is very simple. There was so little silver that it affected the people's food, clothing, housing and transportation, so they had to use copper as the general equivalent.

Therefore, copper has always been a strategic material in Ming Dynasty, and the common people cannot hide it privately, otherwise they will be punished with felony.

But copper is not a rare thing. Lawless people often make copper coins privately in various places. After all, they can be used as silver when they are made, and the cost is much lower than that of the Ministry of Households.

The currency that Liu Hongjian envisioned was backed by silver, and the face value of the issued currency must be equal to its actual value.

This actual value is supported by the same amount of silver reserves behind it. How much currency is issued must have as much silver reserves. There will be currency devaluation.

To put it bluntly, the amount of gold and silver in the world will not decrease, which is based on following the law of conservation of mass.

The biggest reason for choosing the silver standard instead of the gold standard is that the gold mines in Daming are too rare, and the grades are not high, so the gains outweigh the losses if they are mined.

In comparison, silver was much better, and Liu Hongjian knew where there were silver mines overseas as a supplement, so he was going to Dongying soon because he wanted to find out.

Coins should naturally be made round, similar to the coins of later generations, but the current industrial level of Ming Dynasty is not enough to make nickel-plated steel cores or copper-nickel alloys.

So Liu Hongjian thought of Yuan Datou, this kind of silver-copper alloy, in the silver coin worth one yuan, silver accounts for [-]% and copper accounts for [-]%. It is this ratio that makes Yuan Datou very malleable. And elasticity, measuring and blowing will make all parts of the silver dollar resonate, just like a dragon chant.

Moreover, the avatar and font on the face of the coin can also be used as a good anti-counterfeiting measure. This thing is not a silver ingot, it can be made casually, and the silver ingot can be spent no matter what it is.

The ratio of minting machinery and materials has become the core secret of this minting system, and it is precisely because of this that Liu Hongjian is so cautious to find his confidant to do it secretly.

The coins that Liu Hongjian wanted had to be of uniform specifications and appearance, which inevitably required the hardness of the machinery used for the coinage to meet the standard, and Liu Hongjian came to the Duke of England and the Duke of Qian for the machinery used for the coinage.

He had already communicated with Uncle Song about this matter in advance, and it was secretly developed by the Ordnance Institute, and Xishan Shanghe was responsible for the overall planning and mass customization. When the technology matured, it was time for Liu Hongjian to exert his strength.

Anyway, if this thing is not spent after it is made, and the court doesn't say it's money, he's not a fart, and it can't be considered illegal.

The silver dollar will be divided into three types, the main currency is one yuan, and the auxiliary coins are five jiao, two jiao, and one jiao. One of the silver yuan contains [-] taels of silver, and the fire consumption (that is, necessary expenses such as processing fees) is counted as one tael of silver. .

There is no limit to the number of one silver coin, that is, one silver coin is the standard currency of unlimited legal compensation, and more than one silver dollar is a banknote, but the banknote is the representative of the silver dollar, or the exchange certificate, if there is no full preparation and widespread use of silver coins Circulation, banknote credit is also difficult to establish.

Regardless of whether it is banknotes or silver dollars, the silver reserves in the Ming treasury are used as credit.

Liu Hongjian told the two of them what he read from the book in the ring and his own understanding, but after a long time of talking, Zhang Weixian and Mu Tianbo were taken aback by what they said.

"My lord, what is the standard currency, what is the general equivalent, and that...the credit currency..." Zhang Weixian was the first and the second big.

"If you don't understand, you can't pretend to understand? Anyway, just do what I tell you, and you can't tell anyone about it, so let it be!" Liu Hongjian yawned and got up to see off the guests.

He is also considering the design of the silver coin. Should he use the head portrait of Mr. Zhu Chongba?Or use the avatar of Uncle Chongzhen to do it?
……

PS: My motherland and I cannot be separated for a moment. No matter where I go, there is a hymn~~~Although I am busy making a living every day, I believe that every book friend has a love for the motherland in his heart. The identity is hidden deep in the heart, and it is usually not seen by outsiders.

When our motherland is rising step by step, when seeing Grandpa Yuan Longping standing on the podium, seeing coach Lang Ping and the Chinese women's volleyball team let the world hear China's national anthem, the eyes can't help but moisten, or the heart rises The indescribable touch of the stock is our love for the motherland.

Why do we often have tears in our eyes, because we love this land deeply.

The mother of the motherland wishes you a happy 70th birthday, wishes the motherland more prosperity, and wishes all book friends to realize their life value.

I love you, China.

(End of this chapter)