e6b Try LON S "TOs PHO 24) JO SXOUDY feNSNUp, pus YyeoA joUOT PEN, 'mpayy eBuEyou *sAauOYY SAMUI JO SuRDeOS pue Apmis Gyy apouord OL uoleossy Aauopy [eUOTIpesy 2.ee - Traditional Money Association To promucia the suty and collecting of Primitive Moneys xchange Macha, Traditional Vieaith and Unusual Money OF th went Contents — seopewr - eoron iuscgres = Editorial 1 = Book Review = Coinage of Rattanakosin Era 2 Austion Action 3 Seounaeue Different Perspectives (hs. De Keotow =k Sais = Members! Market 5 Dealers' Doings 6 Money of Former Timea Denis Segatter 7 Modern Tea Bricks 15 The Achsulean Handaxe Cot Davitson 16 Grading Your Slaves Cot Dav édaon 17 Bits and Pieces 18 Editoriat: Duning the dast few months oua Clu received mentions in Scott Seman’s catatogue, the Par ifie Istand Monthly and the Austaatian Coin Review, However, our numbers ane stild dectining - our menieaship now atands af alout forty memberd andy = dome of won Aave not padd thet cunaent fees, Our optinum aunfes woudl be around the Aidty to aeventy monk - enough memlets 20 enjoy the Benefits of Laade and dnfotmation tut not too many to seevica, Woud? our current memlens please give a Cittte thought to haw we can dnesense oun minfletshin, Tf you can advise me of addaesses of Coin flagazines, efc., I witl nite fo them after a titife mubticity, Aéso thing that each of you can do in either chasing new memters on wublleising oun Céut woud Aeds tromentousty, Any suggestions a4 to how we ean émprove our pulé ication would be appreciated as woudl any aaticdes, shoad stories,- news jollings, current priced, addaesses from which we can ottain items, ete. for inetusion in Me bot de You Yours,2 Book: "Coinage of the Rettanakesin fra AD. 1782-1982" Ihave just received a copy of the above book and am very impressed with it. It is nice sized (195nm x 265mm), hard covered book with 504 pages and superb colour plates, The pictures have to te seen to be believed - a gold coin connemorating the Rattanakosin Bicontennial has been sagnified to a size of about 240am dianeter and a pot duang or bullet money with Chakra counterstanp has bean magnified to a diameter of 180mm, This occasional raznification on a background of solid reds and blues cakes this an extrecely colourful and enjoyable book. There are sections on bullet néneys, conuerorative bulleta, "flat! coins, commenorative coins, sore patterns, a amall general section on Thai custom moneys (hoi, lats, toks, etc.), sone patterns and a small section on the ranufacture of bullat soins showing photographs of the actual wood noulds, chisols, elephant deg bone anvil, steel dies, etc. Another section deals with eowrle shells and gaubling tokens and yet another lists Royal Decrees relating to cowries, bullets and flat coins (did you know = due to Inek of circulating coing and the practica of tho tine to use foreign coine showing the Christian crose, atc. to wake bracelets and necklaces for children - in 1857 the King issued a Decree prohibiting the practice), Tam not sure of the availability of this lovely and useful book to overseas collectors as I purchased ny copy through a friend in Bangkok. However, he obtained it fron the Royal Thai Decoration and Coin Pavilion Central Treasury Division, Treasury Departrent, Ministry of Finance, Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand, However, it would probably ve easier to purchase it from a dealer suchas Scott Seran who shoys it on his latest book list at $0540 with the note that it will be due shortly. ee) A letter of mine published in the Pacific Island Monthly obtained for us the article by Denis Sagaller on Thai ancients. Yr. John ‘dine of the Australian Inforration Service in Bangkok sent me a eopy of the article printed in the "Rangkek World", I approached Hr. Segeller and obtained his permission to reprint the article, Ny thanks to both Mr. Milne and Mr, Segaller. ee eee weAuction Aet ion On 15th April, 1984 Fileen, Alan McRae and myself attended the Lawson auction of Tribal Art at their rooms at 212 Gunberland Street, Sydney. There were only a few items of interest to Primitive Money collectors and some of the prices realised were: #70 Bird of Paradise plumes $45.00 #7| Decorated tapa cloth with teeth, seeds, etc $25.00 #140 Trobriand Line Spatula $29.00 #i2 Pig tooth necklace 36em Highlands 435,00 #194 Green Snail shell Abelam Bride Price $55,00 #312 Tentated stone Minberley Point mounted as spearhead $80,00 #331 Boomerang Siem $55.00 #283 «Indonesia 19th Cent, bronze silver plated bracelet$25,00 #378 Aboriginal incised pearlshsl1 lonka-lonks $4.50 00 7454 Large triangular shaped stone axehead Asmat 30en$140,00 g472 © Tambua = old whale tooth on cord Fiji 140,00 W477 Split whale tooth pendant $6000 A number of other boonerangs, plg testh necklaces, etc, did net sell as the reserve was nob reached. * * * Wotieed one only prinitive money iter in the recent auction by Money Mundus, Box 371, Oldwick NeJ. 08858, U.S.A. - this was 4 gmall YAP STONE MONEY - 60nn diameter x 35nr high. Ancient erey-coloured stone with two large cone shaped depressions meeting in centre to complete the central hole. Pitted or packed over whole of surface, requiar and well made, Thi emall edition of the famous stone money brought $09125 and vould fit nicely . into any collection of prinitive money, It is interesting to note that of the 142 examples listed by C.L. Gilliland in her book on Yap Stones 16 (11.3%) are of 60mm or less dianeter and 45 (31.7%) are of 15 3an or less. Thus, although many examples on the island of Yap are in excess of 2 retres diameter and weigh soné tonnes, the ones in museums and private collections are generally HUCH analler. . * * Readers: if you notice prices of ‘classics’! in the prinitive money field from any recent auction, sale, ete., please drop ag a Line and I will inelude it in the next journal. It is interesting and helps to keep nexbere abreast of latest trends. * . *Different Perspect ines People coming to our house and viewing primitive money for the first time are ususlly very surprised to learn that the items represent different forms of money. Except perhaps for nuniamatios nobody seeng to have thought about the origin of soxathing a8 common as money before. Wonen never fail to be attracted by bracelets, earrings and necklaces, whereas mon pay attention to things made of metal, valuable or not, preferably weapons. Opium weights, after their use has been explained, assem to impress everyone, a3 do Siamese porcelain tokens - their notorious origin obviously adding enormously to their attraction. All these things are products of handicraft. When it comes to abells and other itens of natural material, people seen to change their attitude, Such items cannot possibly represent any Value vhatsoever?! To think of the idea of collecting shells on the beach in order to use it as money! To use something that nature provides us with anyway as a valuable object of barter! Our visitors smile at this in anvserent, Thus modern man entera our home and encounters ancient evidence of primitive man. Zut nedern san ie not as far from the world of primitive san as he wight think. For instance, both strongly believe in the effect of lucky sharma - no matter whether made of shell and fibre or rodern material, Modern min is not ad to wear a copper armring which is belioved te keep aeee of all types. He surrounda himself with numerous thinga to protect him and to influence his fete. Whether you call this superstition or not - 1t is a link between modern man and his prehistoric ancestor. Itams made of materials of high value such as metals, ivory or precious stones are a display of waalth in our society as vell as in the society of primitive man. We cannot escape the beauty of items made of shells and sinilar natural naterials produced by Facifie Islanders for decorating thenselvea - just as civilized woman decorates herself daily with all sorte of jewellery, often made of the sane materials, dnd even if nan teday does not pay a bride price, ha does court woran with valuable presents in order to catch her attention. Man has to invest before he ean marry, How modern san has to consider the nature of earning zoney. Even if he does not MAKE his own money by collecting shells and i