Moneta Gallery Coin Museum



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China - Oval lead co
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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CHINA - Bronze Ring
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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China - Bronze 'Grat
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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China - White Stone
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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China or Thailand -
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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CHINA - Ancient Wood
Moneta

[ Archaic: Imitation Cowries ]
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China - Oval lead cowrie

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Moneta



Registered: August 2005
Location: Arizona USA
Posts: 2,365
users gallery
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: [ 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 ]
An excellent article in ANA's "Numismatist" magazine, Oct 2017 > [ link ]
SEE how far back in time decorative sea shells were important to prehistoric man at his : [ link ]
Interested in Primitive Money? Then check out this YouTube video created by Kagins Auctions featuring Bob Leonard and Charles Opitz upon the massive sale in March 2021. Click this: [ link ]
· Date: May 29, 2021 · Views: 704 · Filesize: 148.2kb · Dimensions: 780 x 499 ·
Keywords: Oval lead cowrie

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