There is also the matter of how many beads make a complete object. My friend Bob Boddy swears he's never seen a complete "string," but my examination of these things leads me to the conclusion that most of them are complete.
See also "wawa" or "cicada money," "moon money," "swirl money," etc. and "shield" money.
Several in stock, you probably won't get the ones in the pictures.
Type 1: beads are ovoid, ~8x5mm, hollow back, on a (usually)
continuous spine
1a) 5 beads, ~3.5g, ~33mm long, $32.00
sold 3/5/2012
1b) 6 beads, ~4.5g, ~46mm long, $38.00 sold 3/5/2012
1c) 7 beads, ~5g, ~50mm long, $40.00
sold 3/5/2012
27168.
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze chuan "bead" money, 7 half beads on spine,
5g, 54mm long, $33.00 sold 6/5/2009
Click picture for enlargement.
Type 2: beads are ovoid, ~9x7mm, hollow back, on a continuous
spine
2a) 6 beads, ~6g, ~50mm, $40.00
Type 3: beads are more oblately ovoid, ~9x8mm, hollow
back but more shallow than types 1 & 2, on a (usually) continuous spine
3a) 3 beads, broken off of a longer string, $18.00
sold
5/31/2010
3b) 4 beads, broken off of a longer string, $24.00
sold
5/31/2010
Type 4: beads are very oblate, ~18x5mm, flat back with
round loops on back
27169.
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze chuan "bead" money, 7 wide flat "wings"
with 3 loops on back, ~55mm, ~9.5g, VF $33.00
sold 6/5/2009
Click picture for enlargement.
4a) 7 beads, ~9.5g, ~54mm
long, 3 loops on back, appears to be complete, as one end is free and the
other is broken, I assume off of the base sprue, intact specimens $40.00
sold 4/15/2008
4b) same, but defects or
missing pieces $24.00 sold
About
40mm long. My supplier calls this item "special bead money."
I think Jeff Young calls them "dragon's jaw money." To me they look
like pull broaches for silk scarves. Ancient Chinese money?
Sure, why not?
"F," any of these @ 28.00 each
sold
Click picture for enlargement.
CHINA,
ZHOU Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze
chuan "bead" money, 3 half beads, 19x6mm, flat back, F $16.00
Click picture for enlargement.
CAB13)
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze Chuan "bead" money,
pair of 11mm half beads, bit of sprue on end of one, no bar on back, this
is probably the entire object, not the normal kind of bead money, F
$24.00 sold 6/26/2015
Click picture for enlargement.
CAB15)
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze Chuan "bead" money,
pair of 9mm half beads, F $21.00
Click picture for enlargement.
CAB16)
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze Chuan "bead" money,
pair of 12mm half beads with with pointy centers & edge decoration
of curved radial lines, connected by 3x5mm bar, no bar on back, F $44.00
sold 5/11/2009
Click picture for enlargement.
CHINA,
ZHOU
Dynasty, 1122-255 BC, bronze "stick" money, 68x5mm,
8.2g, a rod, pierced at top, roughly triangular in section, the lower 2/3
divided into 3mm segments,
F $56.00sold
5/31/2010
Click picture for enlargement.
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