Bronze Cowry (or Cowrie) of Ancient China

April 2024

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Was this type of cowry the first true metal money? The ethno-centric Western culture likes to think of the electrum lumps (natural blend of gold and silver alloy) of Lydia in Asia-Minor (Turkey) as the first man-made metal money. The evidence shows that the Chinese used cast copper and bronze in the form of cowry shells long before. Even when the metal cowries are acknowledged as older then the argument goes that animal and people images that constitute 'coins' were first from Greek culture. However, is not the form of a sea shell the image of an animal? The Chinese went on to fashion 'ghost face' and 'ant nose' bronze castings that were definitely used as money.
This is a small cast bronze cowry. Be sure to look at the cast cowry tree. Other types of bronze cowries were made during the Wang Mang period when all types of ancient forms of money were resurrected during the nostalgic reforms of this unusual Chinese Emperor.
19 x 16 x 4 mm; 2.64 gm

Moneta Library has articles on Cowries to VIEW and DOWNLOAD:
The Worlds's First Money, Chinese Cowries and Their Imitations - by Ted Puls [ link ]
Cowries - Bob Reis: [ link ]
Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: [ link ]
Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: [ link ]
Nice Video on Cowrie history: [ link ]