LANNATHAI:LOT of 5 silver tok money, C'iengmai types: 17.48g, 66.61g, 65.13g, 61.01g; Nan type: 56.45g, circa 17th-18th century, nice group of these interesting ethnographical pieces, average quality examples, retail value $250, lot of 5 items, ex Dr. Axel Wahlstedt Collection. The toks of C'iengmai, hollow silver shells with rough, fragile domed tops and a round, mouth-like opening in a sturdy bottom colored red-yellow. Fineness is about .400-.500 and while weights are not exact, they come in five distinct denominations (1/16 to 1-unit), the largest two of which usually bear one or more (often unclear) edge stamps of unknown significance. The fractional sizes are scarcer. Due to their fragility, or perhaps later ceremonial use, specimens with intact domes are less common. The toks of Nan, farther east, show a convex bottom and a "dome" reduced to a wide oval scoop with raised edges and a hole near the rim and weighing 60-73g. Fineness of the best pieces seems to be around .300-.400, down to pure copper for some specimens.

Estimate: USD 100 - 150