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1 Cowrie Kaudi
| Issuer | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1000 BC - 1825 AD |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Natural |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Natural dorsal surface of the Cypraea moneta (money cowrie) shell, presenting a smooth, ovoid, convex form with a characteristic pale cream to buff patina. The shell displays its natural toothed aperture on the ventral side and a small perforation near the apex, consistent with use as a strung currency medium. No inscriptions, legends, or mint marks appear on any surface, as the cowrie functioned as an intrinsic-value proto-currency. Cowries of this type circulated as legal tender in ancient India and remained in active use in Bengal and Orissa (Odisha) into the early nineteenth century, with a recorded exchange rate of 2,560 cowries to 1 Rupee as of 1821. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Natural ventral surface of the Cypraea moneta shell, exhibiting the characteristic elongated aperture bordered by finely toothed denticulations along both lips. The surface is smooth and glossy, retaining the shell's natural cream to pale yellow coloration. No engraved or struck design elements are present, consistent with the shell's unaltered use as primitive currency. |
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| Edge | Natural (shell) |
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