Puneet Varma (Editor)

Twelve Metal Colossi

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12 Jin Ren (Chinese:十二金人) were twelve huge bronze Colossi made after 221 BC by the order of Shihuangdi, the first Emperor of China. During the Qin's wars of unification, Shihuangdi defeated the six major states of China: the Han, the Zhao, the Wei, the Chu, the Yan, and the Qi. After the wars, he collected the weapons of the conquered states and had them cast into statues.

Fate

Dong Zhuo, in his efforts to finance a personal castle in Mei County near Chang'an, around 190 AD melted bronze items such as bells and statues, including nine of the Colossi, and recast them into coins. This influx of bronze coins flooded the market and caused a serious inflation, rendering the currency useless.

References

Twelve Metal Colossi Wikipedia