Description: You're bidding for an 800 - 1500 AD PRE-COLUMBIAN AZTEC COPPER AXE MONEY A museum quality piece of Aztec copper Axe Money. This type of currency was common in the pre-columbian era in Central Mexico and Central America. Such symbolic axes circulated as money in Central and South America before the arrival of the Spaniards. This piece was in use among the Aztec people and supposedly served to pay tributes and in a religious context. It is made from copper-arsenic bronze. Axe money is said to have come to West Mexico from Ecuador around 800 AD. After the arrival of the Spaniards it was slowly replaced by the Spanish peso. This example measures 6" wide and 5-3/8" tall. Made of copper they are always tarnished, soiled with some scratches and mineral deposits from that time. Axe or hoe money, also known as tajaderos, was a form of currency used in Mesoamerica and Central America: A standardized, unstamped copper or bronze artifact shaped like an axe or chopping knife. Worth 8,000 cacao seeds, another common unit of exchange in Mesoamerica. Used in trade, and often found in burials, suggesting they may have had ceremonial value as well. Used in central Mexico and parts of Central America, and in the northern Andes. Accepted and valued against Spanish silver reals, but many refused to accept worn pieces. Fell out of use well before the beginning of the 17th century. The Smithsonian Institution has an example of Aztec Axe/hoe money in its collection. ---------- Reduced S&H for multiple auction wins. Same Day/Next Day Shipping
Price: 230 USD
Location: Bensalem, Pennsylvania
End Time: 2025-01-17T14:48:37.000Z
Shipping Cost: 5 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Culture: Mexican
