CHINA, cowrie imitations and derivatives, including the bronze "ant-nose" coins
    Let's call the stone and shell imitations, Shang-Zhou, c. 1400-900 BC in round numbers, and why not attribute the much more common bone imitations to early-middle Zhou, c. 1100-500 BC?  Of course if we knew what grave they were, uh, taken from, then we'd know, but we don't.  The bronze "realistics" are probably contemporary with the bones or later.  The various "ant-nose" coins are c. 400-300 BC.

CCSL1) CHINA, cowrie & imitation lot:  6 pieces of cypraea moneta shells with filed backs, 6 imitations in white alabaster 12x17mm with 2 holes, & a teardrop shaped shell bead with a face carved on it & hole at pointy end, from unknown location in south-central China, 10 pcs total, $185.00 sold
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CCS9) CHINA, white sandstone cowrie imitation, 26x17mm, $24.00
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CCS10) CHINA, white sandstone cowrie imitation, bit of original red paint, $27.00 sold 7/18/2011
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CCS8) CHINA, translucent alabaster cowrie imitation, 35x22mm, cleft, hole, nice $35.00 sold
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CCS16) CHINA, alabaster cowrie imitation, 30x19mm, crude $31.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCS7) CHINA, stone cowrie imitations
a) coarse white sandstone, 31x26mm, $24.00 sold 7/18/2011
b) another, 29x24mm, $22.00 sold 4/13/2010
c) fine off-white sandstone, 19x15mm, $19.00 sold
d) another sandstone piece, $19.00 sold
e) translucent alabaster, 15x15mm, $33.00 sold
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CCS13) CHINA, marble cowrie imitation, 24x18mm, carved cleft & center hole, $35.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCS14) CHINA, marble cowrie imitation, 28x22mm, $38.00 sold 7/18/2011
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CCS11) CHINA, cowrie imitation in fine white sandstone, 29x22mm, $24.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCS12) CHINA, cowrie imitation in fine white sandstone, 31x21mm, 12mm thick, light chipping on back, $14.00 sold
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CCJ4) CHINA, jade cowries, ~32x18mm, nice, any of these at $85.00 each b is sold, I have several more unpictured.  They are quite beautiful, polished, special pieces
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CCJ3) CHINA, jade cowries, ~29x13mm, carved as a "bottom" on both sides, $85.00 each b sold
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CCJ-S2) CHINA, jade cowrie, 14x21mm, 2 holes, VF $120.00 sold
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CCJ-S5) CHINA, jade cowrie, ~31x23mm, mottled whitish color, nicely made, $65.00  sold 7/18/2011
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CCJ-S6) CHINA, jade cowrie, ~25x23mm, $45.00 sold 7/18/2011
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CCJ-S9) CHINA, big jade cowrie, 50x31mm, 3 tiny holes, mottled tan & olive color with soft inclusions, $95.00 sold
Click picture for enlargement.  Several of these are available.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CCJ-S7) CHINA, jade cowrie,  20x15mm, 2 tiny holes, highly polished white & tan, $90.00 sold 12/21/2009
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CCJ-S8) CHINA, jade cowrie, 20x14mm, 2 tiny holes, highly polished white with a bit of green, $70.00 sold
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CCJ-S3) CHINA, grayish jade cowrie, ~23x15mm, that's a bit of carnelian in the cleft, $90.00 sold
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CCS4) CHINA, stone cowries from same batch as above, but these are soft soapstone or similar. Any of these @ $55.00 each.
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CCS5) CHINA, stone cowrie, 19x14mm, $36.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCS6) CHINA, stone cowrie, 24x16mm, $45.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCS18) CHINA, soft stone cowrie, 1 big hole in back, 18x26mm, $35.00 sold
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CCS15) CHINA, stone cowrie, soft, fine tan stuff, 29x18mm, $30.00 sold 7/18/2011
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CCM2a) CHINA, cowries carved from mother of pearl with a hole at either end, @ $11.00 each sold
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CCM1) CHINA, cowrie carved from giant clam or similar, 43x31mm, 2 holes, small edge chip on back, $35.00 sold 4/13/2010
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CCM3) CHINA, cowrie imitations in mother of pearl
a-c) ~28x15mm, diamond shape, hole at top, no cleft, crude, @ $15.00 each a,b sold
d) sim., but with a cleft, $18.00 sold
e) similar, hole broken, $5.00 sold
g, h) similar but no iridescence, @ $12.00 each g sold
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CCM2) CHINA, cowrie imitations carved from mother of pearl
 a) ~25-30x12-16mm, diamond shape, hole at top, $21.00 sold
 b, c) sim., $15.00 sold 4/13/2010
 d, e) carved from shell, 23x15mm, diamond shape, cleft, chips, @ $5.00 each e sold
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CFD2) CHINA, bone cowries, aa & ab have no holes for stringing, ba & bb have one hole @ $13.00 each, the rest have two holes, @ $11.50 each sold
Picture is actual size.
2008 I've acquired several more batches of these, mostly with 2 holes.  Buy an unpictured 2-hole type for $15.00.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

s8) CHINA, green glazed porcelain cowrie, ~30x18mm.  Several people have opined that these are funerary "Hell money," and perhaps that is so.  Or then again, maybe not.  "F" $34.00 sold
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CCC-sc1) CHINA, clay cowries.  What else could these be but Hell money?
a) ~28x18mm, decent F $6.00
b) VG $3.00
c) sim., smaller F $6.00
d) VG $3.00
e) worn, chips $2.00
all sold as of 7/18/2011
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CHINA, ant-nose series, Coole= Tang Ban Liang, FD= "Jin?," H1.4, FD-4, 2 triangles, no lines, 3.0g, VF $21.00 sold
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CYB4a) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Coole= Tang Ban Liang, FD= "Jin?," S-unc. 15, FD-4 var., eyebrows above triangles, 2.8g, VG $15.00 sold
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CYB4b) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Coole= Tang Ban Liang, FD= "Jin?," S-unc. 15, FD-4 var., eyebrows above triangles, 2.7g, VF $46.00 sold
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CYB4e) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Coole= Tang Ban Liang, FD= "Jin?," S-unc. 15, FD-4 var., extra line below triangles, 4.43g, VF $43.00 sold 7/19/07
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CYB6a) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Tang Go Liu Zhu, FD-6, Coole-98+, S-unc.14, 2.97g, aXF $36.00 sold
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CYB6b) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Tang Go Liu Zhu, FD-6, Coole-98+, S-unc.14, 2.97g, aXF $27.00 sold 7/19/07
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CYB4e) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Tang Go Liu Zhu, FD-6, Coole-98+, S-unc.14, 0.9g, and made of lead, VF $40.00 sold 7/19/07
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CYBXa) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Jun, H1.12, FD-5, Coole-117+, 3.38g, VF $40.00 sold 7/19/07
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CYBXb) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Xin, FD-nl, Coole-123, S-nl, 4.71g, VG $70.00 sold
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CYBXc) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Xing, FD-nl, Coole-127, 3.89g, all of this type are crude, VG $48.00 sold
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CYBXd) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Qin (metal), FD-nl, Coole-129, 2.30g, VF $60.00 sold
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CYBXe) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, Tao (kiln), FD-nl, Coole-nl, S-nl, like Coole-128 but different, 2.51g, aG $65.00 sold
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CYBXf) CHINA, bronze ant-nose series, unpublished (Yong?), 4.18g, F $180.00 sold
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I have a few more of the better "ant-nose" types in the inventory list.
 
 

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