File:Gold Block (Ying YŸan) Issued by Ying (Capital city of Chu Kingdom) - Scott Semans.jpg

English: OTHER EARLY MONEY FORMS      ca. 400 - 220 BC    

      Cowrie shells (Cyprea moneta & Cyprea anullis) made the transition from adornment to money during the change from Yin to Chou dynasties ca. 1150 B, according to P'eng Xinwei. The I pi, ant nose, or imitation cowrie monies of Chu State were used from the 8th-3rd c. BC, thus contemporary with the oldest knife and spade monies. Apparently they were controversial in Schjoth's day as he did not include them in his coinage section. Halberd money, also known as Ko money, Ge, or Je, is a small, fragile imitation of a weapon combining an ax with a spear, used in.Wu State during Spring & Autumn Annal (c.526-476 BC). Although only recently discovered, they are widely accepted by Chinese archaeologists as money due to an apparent size/denominational structure, and where they are placed in burials. Bridge Money have now been dated to c. 306-221BC and are accepted by many - but not all - Chinese numismatists as actual coins of Ba and Shu States.    

    H 5 . 1      Gold Block     "Ying YŸan" Issued by Ying (Capital city of Chu Kingdom). 21.7mm x16.1mm, 18.297gm         

    H 5 . 20      Bridge Money     a.k.a. Ch'ing or Tingle-tangle. Variety: Looped, with design. Design of straight lines, Provenance: ex-Kobayagawa/DuBois, 1912 116mm, 7.45gm     C6681v Provenance: Jun Kobayagawa Co. (Japan) via W.M. DuBois collection, 1912