Warring States, State of Chu, 400 - 220 BC
AE 'Ant Nose', 16mm, 1.63 grams
Obverse: 'JIN' or 'BEI'.
Reverse: Blank as made.
Hartill1.4 In China these are called Gui Lian Qian (ghost face money) or Yi Bi Qian (ant nose money). "Bei" has been proposed as the obverse character, which means 'shell', a clear evolution from the cowrie currency into metal.