Yansheng coins (traditional Chinese: 厭勝錢; simplified Chinese: 厌胜钱; pinyin: yàn shèng qián), commonly known as Chinese numismatic charms, refer to a collection of special decorative coins that are mainly used for rituals such as fortune telling, Chinese superstitions, and feng shui. They originated during the Western Han dynasty as a variant of the contemporary Ban Liang and Wu Zhu cash coins. Over the centuries, they evolved into their own commodity, with many different shapes and sizes. Their use was revitalized during the Republic of China era. Normally, these coins are privately funded and cast by wealthy families for their own ceremonies, although various governments or religious orders have cast a few types over the centuries. Chinese numismatic charms typically contain hidden symbolism and visual puns. Unlike cash coins, which usually have only two or four Hanzi on one side, Chinese numismatic charms often have more characters and sometimes pictures on the same side.

Although Chinese numismatic charms are not legal tender, they used to circulate on the Chinese market alongside regular government-issued coinage. The charms were considered valuable because they were often made of copper alloys, and Chinese coins were valued by their weight in bronze or brass. In some cases, charms were made from precious metals or jade. In certain periods, some charms were used as alternative currencies. For example, "temple coins" were issued by Buddhist temples during the Yuan dynasty when the copper currency was scarce or when copper production was intentionally limited by the Mongol government.

Yansheng coins are usually heavily decorated with complicated patterns and engravings.^{[citation needed]} Many of them are worn as fashion accessories or good luck charms. The Qing-dynasty-era cash coins have inscriptions of the five emperors Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing, which are said to bring wealth and good fortune to those who string these five coins together.

Chinese numismatic talismans have inspired similar traditions in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and often talismans from these other countries can be confused for Chinese charms due to their similar symbolism and inscriptions. Chinese cash coins themselves may be treated as lucky charms outside of China.

The formal name for these coins, and the word's pronunciation, was Yasheng coin or money (traditional Chinese: 押胜钱; simplified Chinese: 压胜钱; pinyin: yā shèng qián), but in common modern usage Yansheng is the widely accepted pronunciation and spelling.

Yansheng coins are also known as "flower coins" or "patterned coins" (traditional Chinese: 花錢; simplified Chinese: 花钱; pinyin: huā qián). They are alternatively referred to as "play coins" (wanqian, 玩钱) in China. Historically, the term "Yansheng coins" was more popular, but in modern China and Taiwan the term "flower coins" has become the more common name.

Yansheng coins first appeared during the Western Han dynasty as superstitious objects used to communicate with the dead, to pray for favorable outcomes, to terrify ghosts, or to serve as lucky money.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial government issued coins for national festivals or ceremonies such as the emperor's birthday. It was common for the emperor's sixtieth birthday to be celebrated by issuing a charm with the inscription Wanshou Tongbao (萬夀通寶), because 60 years symbolizes a complete cycle of the 10 heavenly stems and the 12 earthly branches.