CAJ | 학술논문

中国货币史研究中一向有白银进步论一说,主张白银能够而且必然取代铜钱,是因为贵金属如金、银的规范性特质更适合较发达的商品经济。该说认定明代中后期银进钱退是唐宋以来中国货币经济史划时代之发展,即所谓从铜钱经济向白银经济的过渡。明代的钱退其实和白银丰沛与否无直接关系,直接原因是明代基层市场交易对铜钱的庞大需求推动私铸钱的盛行。铜钱因为币面价值低廉,便于作伪,所以私铸就成为弥补铜钱不足的重要渠道。但是其解决之道是劣币驱逐良币,频繁的货币更新和投机导致钱币信用不高、流通范围狭窄,不同市场之间也因交易媒介不同而出现隔离,这无形中都大大加大了交易成本,严重制约了明代全国市场的发展。白银进步论不仅在逻辑上有重大瑕疵,在实证上也颇成问题。明代白银的流通,实际上是伴随货币供应的大幅滑落。盗铸钱对规范铜钱的排挤才是白银＂取代＂铜钱的真正原因。
중국화폐사연구중일향유백은진보론일설,주장백은능구이차필연취대동전,시인위귀금속여금、은적규범성특질경괄합교발체적상품경제。해설인정명대중후기은진전퇴시당송이래중국화폐경제사화시대지발전,즉소위종동전경제향백은경제적과도。명대적전퇴기실화백은봉패여부무직접관계,직접원인시명대기층시장교역대동전적방대수구추동사주전적성행。동전인위폐면개치저렴,편우작위,소이사주취성위미보동전불족적중요거도。단시기해결지도시렬폐구축량폐,빈번적화폐경신화투궤도치전폐신용불고、류통범위협착,불동시장지간야인교역매개불동이출현격리,저무형중도대대가대료교역성본,엄중제약료명대전국시장적발전。백은진보론불부재라집상유중대하자,재실증상야파성문제。명대백은적류통,실제상시반수화폐공응적대폭활락。도주전대규범동전적배제재시백은＂취대＂동전적진정원인。
The bullionist explanation about the market economy in sixteenth-century China often emphasized the undergoing transition in the media of exchange from bronze coins to silver and claimed the superiority of precious metals in promoting trade.It argued that this revolutionary change led to the emergence of an early modern economy.This paper challenges the bullionist explanation by exploring the real factor underneath the ＂retreat＂ of bronze coins from the market.The Ming court produced the smallest amount of hard currencies in late imperial China that could barely meet the needs of exchange.Precious metals were far less sufficient before silver began to massively import from 1580 on.In fact,the coins retreated only from long-distance trade.The markets had to produce the coins themselves.The counterfeited coins prevailed throughout the country in the sixteenth century.Although they served as the currency from time to time,the Gresham＇s Law was inevitably working.Contemporary writings observed each local market accepted only its own coin that was counterfeited locally.The government and wholesale merchants appealed to using silver in order to avoid the enormous increase in transaction costs.China＇s domestic market in the sixteenth century was,therefore,agitated by monetary problems.