战国时期，群雄并起，七国争霸，各国皆铸造发行了货币在自己的领土内流通。彼时其他六国流通的货币为布币、刀币、环钱这三种货币体系，南方的楚国使用的却是不同于这三个体系的货币，而是一种上大下小的不规则椭圆形小铜币，称之为“蚁鼻钱”。

它能得此俗称，主要是有两个说法:蚁鼻钱上的文字种类很多，最常见的是“紊”字。此字从钱面上看去，就像是一只蚂蚁趴在鼻尖，故称“蚁鼻钱”;也有人说，所谓蚁鼻钱是应用于墓穴丧葬的，以镇蚂蚁。所以这名称可能也只是单纯的说这种钱币小如蚁鼻罢了。

蚁鼻钱主要是流通在江淮流域的楚国流通货币，相较于其他六国三种体系的货币来说，是较为稀少的币种。这种小铜币正面凸起刻有文字，背面则是平直的，重量自两公分到四五公分， 比我们普通人的指甲盖儿还要小上一些，呈海贝一样的形状，是铜贝的一种。从出土的文物情况来看，蚁鼻钱可能是最早的有文铜贝，所以被钱币学家所重视。

这种钱币有着重要的历史研究意义，因为它是铜贝币发展的高级形式。贝币是我国古代最早的货币，最早出现在殷商时期，天然的贝币在殷商时期开始被大量的使用。但随着商业贸易的不断发展，天然的贝币已不足以满足人们日常的需求，于是开始出现了仿制贝币，主要有骨贝、蚌贝、石贝、铜贝等。在这些仿制贝币中，铜贝币最具有研究意义，因为它是后来我国通用了几千年的金属铸币的开端。所以尽管它的流通范围仅在楚国境内，楚国覆亡后也未在后世继续流传，但仍是被列为春秋战国货币四大体系之一。

蚁鼻钱的年代久远，且已经是铜贝币发展的高级形式，铸造工艺已脱离了就范刻文的阶段，因此具有很高的收藏价值、研究价值以及投资价值。

英文翻译：

During the Warring States Period, there were seven states competing for supremacy. All countries created and issued currencies to circulate in their own territories. At that time, the currencies of the other six states were cloth coin, sword coin and ring coin. However, the currency of the state of Chu in the south was different from these three systems. It was a small, irregular oval copper coin with a large upper part and a small lower part, which was called "yinnose coin".       It can get this common name, there are mainly two sayings: a lot of types of characters on the yantai money, the most common is "turbulent" word. This word looks from the money surface, like an ant lying on the tip of the nose, so called "ant money"; It is also said that the so-called Ant Nose Money is applied to graves to town ants. So the name may simply mean that the coin is as small as an ant's nose.               Yuanbi money is mainly the currency of Chu in the Jianghuai River Basin. Compared with the currencies of the other six countries and three systems, it is a relatively rare currency. This kind of small copper coin is engraved with words raised on the front and straight on the back. It weighs from two centimeters to four or five centimeters, which is smaller than our ordinary fingernails. It is a kind of copper shell in the shape of a sea shell. From the unearthed cultural relics, yinbi money may be the earliest bronze shell, so it is paid attention to by numismatists.       This coin is of historical importance because it is an advanced form of the development of copper shell coins. Shell money is the earliest currency in ancient China. It first appeared in the Yin and Shang Dynasties. Natural shell money began to be widely used in the Yin and Shang Dynasties. But with the continuous development of commercial trade, natural shell money is not enough to meet People's Daily needs, so the emergence of imitation shell money, mainly bone shell, mussel shell, shell, copper shell and so on. Among these imitation shellfish coins, copper shellfish coins have the most research significance, because it is the beginning of metal coinage which has been used in China for thousands of years. Therefore, although its circulation was only within the territory of the State of Chu and did not continue to circulate after the fall of the State of Chu, it was still listed as one of the four major currency systems in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.               Yuanqian has a long time, and is already the advanced form of the development of copper shell coins. The casting process has been out of the stage of engraving, so it has a very high collection value, research value and investment value.