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 Replies: 14 / Views: 3,250 |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Like many other cultures the Chinese used cowrie shells as 'currency' in the early days, from the early part of the second millennium BC. Because access to cowrie shells was limited in large parts of China, the Chinese carved cowrie shells from soft stone. Here my example, dated to ~800 BC:   Btw, cowrie shells were still used as 'currency' in many places into the modern times. |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I find these piece very interesting but do not know enough to tell which are real and which are recent copies being produced in China.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
What I find interesting is how many different cultures (who as far as we know didn't have contact) used those shells. It's a bit eerie.
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Pillar of the Community
 3772 Posts |
It's really cultures around the Indian and part of the Pacific ocean, so there might have been contact contact between some of them, how much is up for archaeologists and historians to find out. Don't forget there was a lot of trade even in ancient times, the Romans traded with China (via intermediaries) and Roman bronzes are dug up in Sri Lanka/Ceylon.
Also cowrie shells are nice and shiny objects, if I dig up one of the modern ones I have, I'll post it for a comparison.
Note to 'echizento' : I picked the above up many years ago from a respected coin/antiquities dealer, before the storm of Chinese fakes started - so I am quite hopeful that it is genuine.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
They were also used in Africa and by the Native Americans, although not necessarily as currency.
You're right that it's probably that they're just overall pleasing objects, but like I said I just think it's interesting some of the things different groups of people had in common.
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Didn't know about their use by Native Americans, would like to learn more about it, can you provide a link if you have?
Primitive money is an interesting subject in it's own, but most doesn't fit into this forum because it continues into pre-modern or even modern time eg Katanga Cross, Kissy Pennies or Larins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
They played a big part in the mythology of the Ojibway tribe, who used them in their ceremonies despite them having to trade for them from relatively far away. We're pretty far off the topic of Ancient coins and they probably weren't used as a unit of currency in any sense of how we'd think of it. Here's a link with some good info about them in general. http://www.tc.umn.edu/~call0031/ojibwa.html |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4981 Posts |
interesting. I've seen these, but I always thought they were actual shells....didn't know they were carved objects. pretty neat med.
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Pillar of the Community
1121 Posts |
Here is a photo of my gold plated bronze cowrie shell currency from ancient China.  Also used in Thailand until (relatively) recently (1800's) as 'currency'  |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Thanks 'chuy1530', interesting read - wonder where and when on their migration they picked up that creation myth, there are no cowries where they were located in the end. But as promised, here a picture of simple cowries (which I picked up in New Zealand):  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
It's a massive tragedy that we know so little about the Native Americans. Their history is likely every bit as interesting as the ones we know about, but it's almost all gone now...
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
 Unfortunately school history (at least by my experience) starts in ancient times (Egypt, Sumer, etc), covers Greece and Rome but after the fall of the Western Roman Empire deals thinly with the migration of the (East) Germanic people and more or less jumps to the crusades. Just putting a label of "dark ages" on a period which saw plenty progress, but historians are only now digging through the remaining documents to clarify that period and the further ones. After the crusades it's off to the age of colonisation, onwards from then is a good coverage, but mostly European/Western centric. A lot of history is coming still to light and drifting back into what this forum is about, numismatics play a significant role in helping written history to understand certain areas and certain regions - unfortunately a lot of history of those peoples who did not leave written documents or distinguishable artifacts like coins around will be lost forever. Sorry with the diverting. If a moderator feels like closing the topic, he/she has my full support. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Eh, just go back to shells/coins and the thread should be fine.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Tempted to start a new collecting habit? There are plenty around, not only the shiny cowries. And shell segments/parts of other shells have been used as primitive money. Or is it SHELL you want?  |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 3,250 |
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Posted 10/11/2014 4:33 pm
