BURMA (Myanmar, and pronounced the same), "opium" weights.
    The interestingly agressive and autocratic government of Burma did not issue coins in the 17th century.  Instead, it verified weights.  You, the merchant, made the weights, or had them made for you, and then you got them certified by the government.  There are a lot of them around these days, as long as you're willing to settle for the chicken/duck looking ones called "hantha."  Hantha is Burmese for Garuda, the divine bird that transported one of the avatars of Vishnu when he was performing his divine deeds.  Much scarcer are the divine guardian lions called "to" (pronounced "tow.")  The find ratio is about 80 ducks to a lion.  Rarer still are elephants, which some people claim are from Laos, and "everything else" is the rarest type of all.
    Weights are in kyats (pronounced "chyat), about 16 grams.  Most common weight is 2 kyats.  They are occasionally available up to 1600 grams, pretty rare these days.  I was advised of the existence of specimens up to 38 pounds!
    Fakes all over the place.  Now they are making fakes in Yunnan in China.  Be careful.

as of  9/17/2008 all pictured items are sold.  Ask me about unpictured items in stock - I have them.

BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 10 kyat, 162.2g,  single crest, round tail with many incised lines, rounded beak, 4 lines on hexagonal base, somewhat fancy, official validation mark (star), VF $30.00 sold
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 10 kyat, 157.2g, triple crest, pointed tail with incised lines, pointed beak, 4 lines on hexagonal base, somewhat fancy, official validation mark (star), F $36.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 2 kyat, 32.5g, single crest, round tail with side notches, pointed beak, hexagonal base with 3 incised lines, VF $17.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 2 kyat, 31.6g, double crest, round tail with 4 incised lines on side, pointed beak, hexagonal base with 2 incised lines, F $17.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 2 kyat, 32.6g, double crest, pointed tail with 4 incised lines on side, pointed beak, hexagonal base with 3 incised lines, F $17.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 2 kyat, 31.7g, double crest, pointed tail with 5 incised lines on side, round beak, hexagonal base with 2 incised lines, VG $15.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, hantha ("duck"), 2 kyat, 31.5g, double crest, pointed tail with 6 incised lines on side, pointed beak, hexagonal base with 2 incised lines, F $17.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 20 kyat, 324.6g, nicely detailed & decorated, official validation mark (star), VF $150.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 10 kyat, 164.8g, nicely detailed & decorated, square base, handle, rough surface from earth burial, $55.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 10 kyat, 162.8g, nicely detailed & decorated, official validation mark (star), VF $85.00 sold
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 5 kyat, 80.9g, nicely detailed & decorated, official validation mark (star), VF $42.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 2 kyat, 32.6g,  nicely detailed & decorated, official validation mark (star), VF $40.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, to ("lion"), 1 kyat, 16.6g, nicely detailed & decorated, VF $32.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA,"opium weight," coiled snake with horse's head, 4 kyat,  63g, I've convinced myself that this is genuine, VF $135.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, set of 6 lion "opium" weights, 4.7, 9, 18.4, 33.7, 82.6, 163g.  Beautiful set, too bad they're modern, $60.00 sold 9/17/2008
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BURMA, "opium" weight, elephant, 1 kyat, 13.2g, caparisoned, nice original piece, VF $100.00 sold 9/17/2008
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