Hi all...I came across this in my stepfather's collection. It is definitely money and I recall him mentioning it may be worth a considerable amount. Thoughts? History? Value? It weighs about 10 lb and measures about 10 by 8 inches. Thanks all!
It looks like a Rai stone, from the island of Yap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones Unless you have some provenance on it beyond your stepfather's collection, I would be hesitant to say it's authentic, as these things are fairly easy to fake.
Can you prove your claim that this is money? It looks like a stone wheel. I can not imagine at anytime that anyone would carry a 10 pound stone as money. It may have been used as barter but that is not money. If this is money, what denomination is it? Were different weights or sizes used as money and they all had a different denomination? If it is money the size and weight alone would be the best form of theft protection I've ever known.
My stepfather also had very large copper riksdaler plates (see photo) which weighed over 50 pounds and that was at one point considered money so after seeing that nothing shocks me. I believe perhaps these were used bartering like you said though. Thanks for your feedback.
@Lyricfive do you have any receipts or auction records showing how your stepfather acquired the stone? My guess is that it would be nearly impossible to authenticate without provenance.
My apologies to you. They are probably what you said they are but as the owner it's up to you to prove what it is. Best wishes on getting that proof.
I would think that some sort of mineral analysis could at least confirm whether or not it was quarried in the right place. Not sure who would do this and what it would cost. I'd start with an appropriate museum. Perhaps ask the ANA people (Doug Mudd) how they'd go about authenticating a Rai stone.
Working with Heritage Auctions on this. One recently sold for 18,000!! They determined mine may be around 5000. They typically do due dilligence into proper testing. Hoping for the best here. Thanks all.
