When did China start to issue money?

Answer 1

The first national Chinese currency was issued by Qin Shi Huang, as part of his Unification of China. It was in the form of a round coin with a hole punched in the middle; since inflation made each coin rather worthless on its own, the hole was useful for stringing many coins together.

The currency China uses today, the Yuan (called the renminbi, or "people's currency," within China), was first issued in 1948, and is printed in a more traditional banknote design. 1, 2, and 5 Yuan coins have also been issued at various times, but they have never caught on as popularly as the paper money has.