Kublai Khan's Coinage Crisis: Bronze vs Paper Money

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Kublai Khan's struggle to establish a unified currency system across the Yuan Dynasty. Despite the famous paper money, the 'chao', Kublai also minted bronze coins like the 'zhitong yuanbao', creating a dual-currency economy that caused inflation and confusion. The conversation covers the collapse of the Song coinage system, the adoption of Mongol silver and silk standards, the failure to enforce paper money in peripheral regions like Yunnan, and the surprising success of the paper currency in China proper as noted by Marco Polo and William of Rubruck. The episode also touches on the role of Muslim merchants and the silver-based economy of Central Asia. A fresh angle for the show, focusing on economic policy rather than military campaigns. #KublaiKhan #YuanDynasty #PaperMoney #Chao #Coinage #ZhitongYuanbao #BronzeCoins #SilkCurrency #Silver #MarcoPolo #WilliamOfRubruck #SongDynasty #Inflation #Economy #HistoryOfMoney #MongolEmpire #FexingoHistory #CentralAsia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo