An Ant-Nose Coin You Have Never Seen Before

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,388
TypeCoin971793 Pillar of the Community United States 6370 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 07:37 am This is the third-commonest type, though significantly scarcer than the two varieties from which "ant-nose" (or technically, ant-and-nose) is derived. This one is my favorite of the varieties because it really shown the ideographic nature on which ancient Chinese chatacters were founded. In this case, the character is "Jun" which is indesputably translated to "Nobleman." If you look closely, you see a head with a small body and a long mustache. Also, notice how the inscription is right-side up with the hole below the inscription. I feel this is evidence that Coole was wrong in saying the "nose" coins should be read upside-down with the hole on top. Report this Post to the Staff

echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 08:29 am Interesting coin. What period is this from. Report this Post to the Staff
TypeCoin971793 Pillar of the Community United States 6370 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 09:02 am We don't know exactly, but archeaologocal record of where these have been excavated hints that this type of coinage existed during the height of the kingdom of Chu, so it was probably made sometime between 350-220 BC. Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 1:51 pm I wouldn't mind adding one one of these to my collection. Are they rare and expensive? Report this Post to the Staff
TypeCoin971793 Pillar of the Community United States 6370 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 2:03 pm Scott Semans has a few. All of them are priced below $100, and most are at or below $50 last I checked. These coins are not easy to find. I know of 2-3 places that have them in stock right now, and zero on Vcoins. Report this Post to the Staff
Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 8:00 pm These are so interesting, TC971793...thanks for sharing. Do you own any of the other varieties of ant-nose coins? What is the rarest type (I'm guessing it might be the three-character type)? Also, these are thought to have hung on strings, right? Or is the hole just a decorative carry-over from an older tradition of stringing cowrie shells? I ask because I wonder if their hanging down from a string through the holes is what gave rise to the assumption (of Coole's) that they should be oriented the other way. Report this Post to the Staff
TypeCoin971793 Pillar of the Community United States 6370 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 8:09 pm Quote: Do you own any of the other varieties of ant-nose coins? I own two of the nose coins, not the ant coin. Quote: What is the rarest type (I'm guessing it might be the three-character type)? There are several that are even rarer than this one. They have single-character inscriptions such as "Xing" (crossroads), "Jin" (metal), and a few others even rarer than those that I can't think of off the top of my head. The three-character type (the ant coin) is the second most common. Quote: Also, these are thought to have hung on strings, right? Or is the hole just a decorative carry-over from an older tradition of stringing cowrie shells? I ask because I wonder if their hanging down from a string through the holes is what gave rise to the assumption (of Coole's) that they should be oriented the other way. Very interesting question. I would say plausible, except for the fact that the vast majority of these coins do not have a hole that goes all the way through, making the vast majority incapable of being strung together. Coole's reasoning was the assumption that the hole (or very deep divot) was part of the inscription. You can find my discussion of this here: https://goccf.com/t/234645&whichpage=2#1971645 Report this Post to the Staff
Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 01/25/2016 8:41 pm Thanks for the link...I just read your entries there...very interesting. Your comment, that's it's an area that "requires more research" certainly seems valid. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,388

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: World Coins and Currency Forums Forum: Ancient, Greek, Roman, and Medieval Coins

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.23 seconds to rattle this change.