The earliest reference to gold currency in China is in the Kuan-tzu, dating back to the sixth century B.C., and a gold coin with two characters on it originating in the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) was unearthed in Anhui province.
我國古代以黃金鑄造貨幣的最早記載，見於管子：「湯七年旱，禹五年水，湯以莊山之金，禹以歷山之金鑄幣… …。」從安徽阜陽出土的遺物中，則發現蓋有「郢爰」二字方印的金幣，證明戰國時代的楚國，確已採用黃金為貨幣。