CHINA - SHANG/ZHOU DYNASTY COWRIE SHELL COINS / FINE CONDITION/ HISTORY: Chinese coinage during the Warring States periods includes some of the earliest coins produced in the world. However, they were mostly not the typical round shape of modern coins. They included cowrie shells, ant nose money, spade-shaped money and knife-shaped money. During the Shang dynasty, cowrie shells had been used as an early type of money. In the Zhou period, their use became more stylized with replica shells made of porcelain, jade or metal coming into use. Some sources suggest that early round coins were a highly stylized representation of the cowrie shells.