Coin China Bone Shell - Cauris (756-256 BC)

Cowrie shells made of bone were crafted early in China, discovered in tombs dating back to the Yangshao culture (Middle Neolithic, 6000-3000 BC). However, it was only towards the end of the Shang ? dynasty (Shang-Yin period, 1300-1028 BC) and under the Zhou ? dynasty (1027-771-256 BC) that they were mass-produced, apparently to replace natural cowrie shells in monetary circulation. In fact, their use seems to have been primarily intended to replace marine cowrie shells in tombs or as decorative elements. This avoided the immobilization of currency in tombs by replacing it with representations. However, during the Eastern Zhou ?? dynasty (771-256 BC), the unsatisfied increase in demand for monetary signs led to bone cowrie shells being used as currency in some regions.