Md. Robiul Islam / Ancient and Vintage Unusual Money

Cowrie

Country: Bengal reign of Bangladesh & India

Info: Cowrie is a Maldives origin glossy brightly marked marine shell, which was extensively used as coin in Bangal reign upto the end of eighteenth century. Silver coins were used in large trading like import and export but Cowrie was most convenient money of exchange for medium trading. It was counting as 4 Cowries make a Gonda, 5 Gondas a Budi, 4 Budis a Pan, 16 Pans a Kahan, and 10 Kahans a silver Rupee.

 

Another variant of the same counting system was: 4 Cowries make a Gonda, 20 Gondas a Pan, 4 Pans an Anna, 4 Annas a Kahan and 4 Kahans one silver Rupee.

Bend coin

Country: Afghanistan-Pakistan

Janapada:Gandhara

Period: 500BC to 1020AD

Metal: Silver

Info:GandharaJanapada was a kingdom from Kabul, Afghanistan to Peshawar, Pakistan. It’s capital was Takshashila (Present Taxila). The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the Verdic period (500BC) to the 11^th century BC. As a center of Buddhist culture, it attained its height from the 1^st Century to 5^th century under Kushan Kings.

Knife Coin

Country: China

Period:400BC to 225BC

Metal: Alloy metal

Length:5.6 Inch

Info:Knives were a common barter item in ancient China, but a bit hazardous to carry around to trade. Some of China's first coins were made to look like a knife, so that people would think of them as money, but they lacked a sharp blade. A hole was included for easy stringing. This knife coin is called the "Ming" after the city where it was made (not the dynasty that was much later). It dates from about.

Tea Brick Money

Country: China

Period: 19^th and 20^th Century

Material: Tea Leaf

Measurement: 9.4x7.3 inch

Weight: 1,158g

Info: In ancient China, compressed teas were usually made with thoroughly dried and ground tea leaves that were pressed into various bricks or other shapes, although partially dried and whole leaves were also used.Due to the high value of tea in many parts of Asia, tea bricks were used as a form of currency throughout China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Central Asia. This is quite similar to the use of salt bricks as currency in parts of Africa. Tea bricks were in fact the preferred form of currency over metallic coins for the nomads of Mongolia and Siberia. The tea could not only be used as money and eaten as food in times of hunger but also brewed as allegedly beneficial medicine for treating coughs and colds. Until World War II.

Bamboo Money

Country: China

Denomination with date: 200 Wen, 1928

Material: Bamboo

Measurement: 90.5x12mm

Info: This unusual piece of bamboo money was issued by the Guang Shan Private Bank, in Suzhou China. One side has the value and Otherside has the serial number and the name of the bank.  It bears a unique serial number with a hole to make it easy to carry on string.It was discovered in 1995, hidden inside a wall of a building that was being demolished in Suzhou, and are guaranteed genuine.

Porcelain Notgeld

Country: German Weimar Republic

Denomination with date: 20 Mark, 1921

Material: Porcelain

Info: The German porcelain Notgeld were struck in Meissen in Saxony in the year from 1921 to 1923. In the time of German Hyperinflation, and a shortage of small change, porcelain Notgeldwere produced. Most of the coins were done in white, black and red porcelain.

Dolphin shape crudely cast coin

Country: Greece

Period: 5^th to 3^rd Century BC

Metal: Bronze

Length: 22mm

Info: It was issued by Olbia, a Greek city on the black sea, now in Ukraine. This coin was minted without inscriptions.

Punched mark coin

Country: India

Janapada: Magadha

Period: 544BC to 321BC

Metal: Silver

Weight: 3.4593g

Measurement: 26x19mm

Info:This Type Coin was made by piece of airrugular flat silver. A series of punches were applied to the front of it,indicating where and when it was made. The punches covered a wide variety of symbols.

Oval shape square hole coin

Country: Japan

Denomination with date: 100 Mon, 1835-1879

Metal: Bronze

Diameter: 49mm

Katanga Cross

Country: Katanga

Metal: Cast Copper

Length: 7 inch across

Weight: 600g

Info: It was an unusual money that was used in part of Zaire upto early 20^th century. One would buy about 10Kg of flour or 5/6 chickens. Two would buy a gun.  

Kissie Penny

Country: Liberia and Sierra Leone

Metal: Iron

Length: 13 Inch

Period: 19^th to mid 20^th Century

Info:Kissie Penny was made by twisted iron rods. Peoples believed that, it contain a soul. If the Kissie was broken the soul would escape and it would be valueless.

Fiber Coin

Country:Manchoukuo

Denomination: 1 Fen and 5 Fen, 1945

Metal: Red Fiber

Info:Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and in 1934 it became a constitutional monarchy. Under the de facto control of Japan, it had limited international recognition.

Stamp Money

Country: Russia

Denomination with date: 15 Kopeks, 1915

Info:In 1915 a type of stamp-note was issued by the Imperialist Russia. These notes were printed to resemble the stamps of the same value then in circulation. The notes were not to be used as stamps, but were designed to take advantage of the well-known postage stamps that were then in circulation. The obverses were printed in the same colors as the existing stamps. The reverse contained the Russian eagle and five lines of text in black. 

Canoe Money or Boat Money

Country: Sumatra (Present-Indonesia)

Period: 800 to 1200AD

Metal: Cast Tin

Length: 50mm

Info: The Canoe Money or Boat Money was used in Sumatra, Indonesia. But it is most likely of Malaysian manufacture. The money has three loops and would make excellent and unusual pendants. 

Canoe Money or Boat Money

Country: Sumatra (Present-Indonesia)

Period: 800 to 1200AD

Metal: Cast Tin

Length: 50mm

Info: The Canoe Money or Boat Money was used in Sumatra, Indonesia. But it is most likely of Malaysian manufacture. The money has three loops and would make excellent and unusual pendants.

Canoe Money

Country: Thailand

Period: 19^th Century

Metal: Brass

Length: 76mm (3 Inch)

Info: Canoe Money also known as boat money or Lats was used in Siam (Now Northern Thailand). It’s one side concave, making it look like a canoe.

Tiger Tongue Money

Country: Thailand and Laos

Period: 16^th to early 19^th Century

Metal: Bronze

Length: 100mm (4 Inch)

Info:This coin was made a series of raised bumpes, that’s why it was called Tiger’s tongue. 

Porcelain Money

Country: Thailand

Period: 18^th to 19^th Century

Info:Porcelain gaming tokens, also known as Pe, issued by Chinese owned gambling houses were widely used as moneyin Siam during the 18th and 19th century. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. After a period of time the gambling houses would recall the tokens and they would be declared valueless.

Salve Bracelet Money

Country: British West Africa

Period: 15^th to 16^th Century

Metal: Copper and Lead Alloy

Info: Also called Manilla and was used extensively on the ‘slave coast’ of West Africa which included parts of modern Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Male slaves went for 2 to 10 Malillas for each. The British manufactured Manilla is about 2.50 Inches across and has a large flan.

Salve Bracelet Money

Country: French West Africa

Period: 15^th to 16^th Century

Metal: Copper and Lead Alloy

Info: Also called Manilla and was used extensively on the ‘slave coast’ of West Africa which included parts of modern Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Male slaves went for 2 to 10 Malillas for each. The British manufactured Manilla is about 3.25 Inches across and has a large flan.

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