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: The Worlds Oldest Money Cowries Ted Puls
Cowries - Bob Reis: COWRIES Reis
Origin of Cowries in Ancient China - UofPa: Origin of Cowries in Ancient China
Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society: Metallic Cowries - Royal Asiatic Society
Nice Video on Cowrie history: http://tinyurl.com/CowrieVideo
An excellent article in ANA's "Numismatist" magazine, Oct 2017 > http://onlinedigitalpublishing.com/publication/?i=440085&ver=html5&p=40
SEE how far back in time decorative sea shells were important to prehistoric man at his : https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505163021.htm
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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MIKxfbAaZg
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