Moneta's Temple and Gallery

China - Jade or Calcite Cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:46:47 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: This stone cowrie is jade like but it's a bit different than known jade cowries, so it might be something like calcite. Its 34 x 23 x 3 mm and weighs 4.32 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo The following is by Bob Reis, a prominent numismatic dealer and author: There are two aspects to cowrie substitutes. One was that cowries had value, it was custom of the time to bury the dead with grave goods, over time the grave goods became more and more imitations of the real thing. The other was that in regions where cowries were scarce they might make imitations for the market, because something was better than nothing. There are a variety of small bronze items that have been speculatively considered to have been some kind of local money, but they are not mentioned in the classical Chinese monetary and numismatic books. Notwithstanding, some of these objects are found in such large quantities that it seems reasonable to consider them as money objects. The idea that enigmatic bronze objects were early forms of Chinese “money” was popularized in Europe by a monograph written by H. A. Ramsden in 1912. Zhou dynasty was a confederation of little kingdoms with a figurehead Emperor. Various constituent states started using money in their commercial activities. Odd shaped coins such as spade, knife, ant, nose, yibi, and possible money items like fish and cicada money were followed by the early round coins. The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets.

China - White Stone Cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:40:10 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: Stone is common material for imitation cowries. I'm not an expert with rocks but this might be soap stone, it does not appear to be jade. It's 27 x 21 x 7 mm. at 4.90 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China - Oval lead cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:35:19 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: Two unusual types of lead cowries came with the Charles Opitz collection. They were both removed from a limestone like substrate and were slightly different from one another. This is the smaller one with a flat top (bottom actually, cowrie teeth are under the shell), it's 27 x 22 x 12 mm and weighs 51.57 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China - Oval Lead Cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:28:48 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: Two unusual types of lead cowries came with the Charles Opitz collection. They were both removed from a limestone like substrate and were slightly different from one another. This is the larger one with a concave top. It's 33 x 26 x 11mm and weights 69.25 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China - Clay cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:22:21 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: There are several types of baked clay imitation cowries. This one is distinctive because the top edge has a pattern on both sides that appears like a sine wave with dots filling the spaces. It's 31 x 21 x 7 mm at 3.98 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. This very rare example is unusually large and beautiful. It appears to be fashioned out of green jadeite, which is to say JADE!. It's 75 mm long, 41.5 mm wide, and 20 mm thick, it weights 72.5 grams. It features the carved 'teeth' of a natural cowrie but this example also shows a carving on the back which is a large circle with a 'X' through it that has serifs at the two ends that are visible. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China - Bronze 'Grate' Cowrie

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:17:33 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: This is a second type of bronze cowrie I have seen a few times. This is flatter with less of an attempt to imitate an actual cowrie and is distinctive with 'grate' like appearance of the teeth. this is 24 x 16 x 2 mm at a mere .76 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China or Thailand - Lead Cowries, medium & small

Moneta — Sat, 29 May 2021 23:04:04 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: The Opitz Collection of imitation cowries presented here contained several lead cowries that were great copies of Cypraea Moneta types, including the detail of shoulders and bumps. Three are a large size and two more are smaller ones, one of those being a middle size, these are them. Much like the obols and staters of the ancient Greek world. An example of one of the three large lead cowries is presented here in this section of the Moneta Museum too. The medium sized one is 16 x 13 x 8 mm at 8.34g; the small one is 14 x 10 x 6 mm at 4.50 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. Info from a Steve Album Auction (9/2021): lead cowries from Northern Thailand, weighing 22.46g, 8.32g, and 4.60g. These detailed lead alloy cowries ("pee") have been called tokens, or burial pieces, but specimens always cluster around weights of 4.7, 8.2, and 25 grams at roughly a 1:2:6 ratio, indicating a denomination sequence. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

CHINA or Thailand - Lead Cyprea Moneta Cowrie

Moneta — Mon, 24 May 2021 21:21:51 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: The Opitz Collection of imitation cowries presented here contained several lead cowries that were great copies of Cyprea Moneta types, including the detail of shoulders and bumps. Three are about this size and two more are smaller ones, one of those being a middle size. Much like the obols and staters of the ancient Greek world. They're presented here in the Moneta Museum too. It's dimensions are 23 mm x 17.5 mm x 11.5 mm, and weighs 22.35 g.; the other two examples are very similar in size. The following from a Steve Album Auction (9/2021): "lead cowries from Northern Thailand, weighing 22.46g, 8.32g, and 4.60g. These detailed lead alloy cowries ("pee") have been called tokens, or burial pieces, but specimens always cluster around weights of 4.7, 8.2, and 25 grams at roughly a 1:2:6 ratio, indicating a denomination sequence. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo The following is by Bob Reis, a prominent numismatic dealer and author: There are two aspects to cowrie substitutes. One was that cowries had value, it was custom of the time to bury the dead with grave goods, over time the grave goods became more and more imitations of the real thing. The other was that in regions where cowries were scarce they might make imitations for the market, because something was better than nothing. There are a variety of small bronze items that have been speculatively considered to have been some kind of local money, but they are not mentioned in the classical Chinese monetary and numismatic books. Notwithstanding, some of these objects are found in such large quantities that it seems reasonable to consider them as money objects. The idea that enigmatic bronze objects were early forms of Chinese “money” was popularized in Europe by a monograph written by H. A. Ramsden in 1912. Zhou dynasty was a confederation of little kingdoms with a figurehead Emperor. Various constituent states started using money in their commercial activities. Odd shaped coins such as spade, knife, ant, nose, yibi, and possible money items like fish and cicada money were followed by the early round coins. The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets.

CHINA - Bronze Ring Cowrie

Moneta — Mon, 24 May 2021 21:03:18 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: I've never seen another bronze ring cowrie other than this one, very unusual and complete with cowrie 'teeth'. It's 32 mm x 26 mm x 3 mm, and weighs 5.8 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

CHINA - Bone Cowries x3

Moneta — Mon, 24 May 2021 20:45:10 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: 'The nicest one at the top of the photo is 21 mm x 15 mm x 7 mm, it weighs 2.22 g. Bone cowries are fairly common and preserve well. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

CHINA - Mother of Pearl Shell Cowrie

Moneta — Mon, 24 May 2021 20:27:24 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: This is a repaired shell cowrie, there's probably no telling what sort of shell it is, maybe a bit of abalone. It's 23 mm x 16mm x 4mm. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

China - Bronze Cowrie

Moneta — Mon, 24 May 2021 20:16:02 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: This is an example of an early bronze imitation cowrie. This one had encrustations removed, a little harshly because you can see brush marks. With the fakes out there it nice to know this is an original. Dimensions are 25.5 mm x 17 mm x 2mm and weighs 2.07 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo

CHINA - Ancient Wood Imitation Cowrie - Ex. Detroit Money Museum

Moneta — Sun, 23 May 2021 23:20:12 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: I was particularly happy to receive a wooden imitation cowrie in the Opitz collection. Someone posted examples in my other Archaic Chinese section. I believe I commented that I thought it was rather unlikely that wood would survive up to 3800 years in the ground. This Charles Opitz collection piece has certain encrustations that make it more believable. It may be made or iron wood, which the Chinese used to make sculptures. It's 32 x 21 x 4 mm and weighs 1.4 g. I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cypraea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo The following is by Bob Reis, a prominent numismatic dealer and author: There are two aspects to cowrie substitutes. One was that cowries had value, it was custom of the time to bury the dead with grave goods, over time the grave goods became more and more imitations of the real thing. The other was that in regions where cowries were scarce they might make imitations for the market, because something was better than nothing. There are a variety of small bronze items that have been speculatively considered to have been some kind of local money, but they are not mentioned in the classical Chinese monetary and numismatic books. Notwithstanding, some of these objects are found in such large quantities that it seems reasonable to consider them as money objects. The idea that enigmatic bronze objects were early forms of Chinese “money” was popularized in Europe by a monograph written by H. A. Ramsden in 1912. Zhou dynasty was a confederation of little kingdoms with a figurehead Emperor. Various constituent states started using money in their commercial activities. Odd shaped coins such as spade, knife, ant, nose, yibi, and possible money items like fish and cicada money were followed by the early round coins. The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets.

CHINA - Green Jade Imitation Cowrie - Ex. Detroit Money Museum

Moneta — Sun, 23 May 2021 22:54:19 -0400

by: Moneta

Description: I was the lucky winner in Kagin's Auction (Mar 2021) Lot# 4233. It consisted of 19 examples of imitation cowrie shells that were previously in the Nate S Shapiro Collection and displayed at the Detroit Money Museum. These were acquired before 1960 but were sold when the Museum closed (~1992). In ancient China cowrie seashells (Cyprea Moneta & C. Annulus) were so valuable that imitations were made to serve as money and grave items. This very rare example is unusually large and beautiful. It appears to be fashioned out of green nephrite jade, which is the lesser form of gem jadeite, which can be extremely valuable. It's equally possible that this is another stone such as green jasper, contact me if you know. It's 75 mm long, 41.5 mm wide, and 20 mm thick, it weights 72.5 grams. So, how's that for the first "Green Back?" It features the carved 'teeth' of a natural cowrie but this example also shows a carving on the back which is a large circle with a 'X' through it that has serifs at the two ends that are visible. I've examined many cowries, and their imitations, and I've never seen another with any kind of markings. All of the number tags, unfortunately glued to most of the specimens in the museum collection, are a characteristic of all Charles Opitz collection pieces. Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD: The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/The%20Worlds%20Oldest%20Money%20_Cowries_Ted%20Puls.pdf Cowries - Bob Reis: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/COWRIES_Reis.pdf Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Origin%20of%20Cowries%20in%20Ancient%20China.pdf Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Metallic%20Cowries%20-%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society.pdf Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo The following is by Bob Reis, a prominent numismatic dealer and author: There are two aspects to cowrie substitutes. One was that cowries had value, it was custom of the time to bury the dead with grave goods, over time the grave goods became more and more imitations of the real thing. The other was that in regions where cowries were scarce they might make imitations for the market, because something was better than nothing. There are a variety of small bronze items that have been speculatively considered to have been some kind of local money, but they are not mentioned in the classical Chinese monetary and numismatic books. Notwithstanding, some of these objects are found in such large quantities that it seems reasonable to consider them as money objects. The idea that enigmatic bronze objects were early forms of Chinese “money” was popularized in Europe by a monograph written by H. A. Ramsden in 1912. Zhou dynasty was a confederation of little kingdoms with a figurehead Emperor. Various constituent states started using money in their commercial activities. Odd shaped coins such as spade, knife, ant, nose, yibi, and possible money items like fish and cicada money were followed by the early round coins. The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets.