中国与地中海区域早期“政府—货币”关系比较研究  

Government and Currency:A Comparative Approach on Early Monetiza.tion between China and the Mediterranean Region

作　　者：马明宗 王卓珲 Ma Mingzong;Tom Zhuohun Wang

机构地区：[1]四川大学古籍整理研究所 [2]耶鲁大学古典系、历史系

出　　处：《全球史评论》2024年第1期41-60,338,共21页Global History Review

摘　　要：古代文明都孕育了自己的货币体系,政府或政权在货币体系的诞生中无疑起了重要作用。通过研究早期中国与地中海区域的政府在货币体系产生、统一和发展过程中所起到的作用,对我们了解古代中国与西方在货币体系、经济模式甚至是社会结构、思想观念上的异同,都具有重要意义。整体来看,货币的诞生离不开政府的推动:在地中海区域更多地表现为政府对既有贵重金属流通的规范化;而在中国则更多地表现为一种公共权力的确立和展示。在货币统一的进程中,地中海世界的货币体系体现出中央与地方、本部与外部长期共存的趋势;而中国则是在较短时间内完成了货币的统一。在货币发展的过程中,地中海各国的货币出现了价值与面额的分离,体现出一定程度上的货币信用化趋势;而在中国则利用行政权力的推行,不仅出现货币流通面额与实际价值分离的情况,而且还产生了价值与面额完全脱钩的信用化货币。中西方早期货币表现出的这种差异,反映了不同文明对经济问题的不同理解和政府权威的差异,更深层次反映出的是不同的文化观念及其历史影响。Currency is the most common medium for economic exchange;and it is evident that both China and Ancient Western civilizations have their own unique monetary history.In both cases,the government or polities played a lead-ing role in standardization.The study of government's role in monetary reforms,both in its monetization,standardization,and development,shed lights on the differences between the two regions with respect to their social structures and polit-ical thoughts.From a comparative point of view,the government is indispensable in the formulation of coinage.In the Greco-Roman world,it is observed in the standardization of metals in circulation;while in China,it also reflects a projec-tion of public power.Western civilizations have a long history of different mone-tary standards co-existing with each other,while China unified the coinages within a much shorter time.An early projection of fiduciary value in currency is also ob-served in both systems;however,the degree of such projection is much more evi-dent in China than in the West.The differences between the two systems also con-veys different economic thoughts in governing the economy.The level of control in governance demonstrates the differences between these two cultures concerning their historical legacies.

关 键 词：中国 地中海区域 政府—货币关系 比较 

分 类 号：K107[历史地理—历史学] F821.9[历史地理—世界史]