Pictures of Aztec Money

[Richard Ray]

Was doing a project for the anthropological department and among my many discoveries was two separate caches of Aztec money, at separate locations... One in the central valley, the other near Oaxaca. I realize they are not gold (they are basicly copper) but might be interesting to some...
Richard Ray

 

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[Hoze513]

wow That is beautiful and extremely rare. That is something you keep for ever and maybe one day pass it on to a museum.

 

[Richard Ray]

The rest of the caches are in museums, this is just my cut for locating the caches. Many items I've located over the years are in museums, Calif, New York, Dallas, Costa Rica, Mexico and others...
Richard Ray

 

[piegrande]

That is interesting to me especially because I am working my way through the genealogy of Moctezuma II (known as Montezuma in the US) because my wife's family seems to somehow be descended from his family, but not him as they long believed. I just ran across a few articles online questioning if the Aztecs actually used money as such before they were exposed to Spanish culture. I certainly have no opinion on the topic.

 

[Richard Ray]

" if the Aztec really used money before Spanish arrived?"
Piegrande: I don't know, I wasn't around then... LOL
Richard

 

[Lanny in AB]

Great pictures! Cool treasures to have.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[piegrande]

" if the Aztec really used money before Spanish arrived?"
Piegrande: I don't know, I wasn't around then... LOL
Richard

Neither was I, but my wife's ancestors were.

Also, there were people writing after Cortes came, in later years, from their personal memories. The problem is those books in many cases are not only in Spanish, but in some cases locked up in special libraries which can only be entered by those with special government authorization. Rats! So, I wait until a Ph.D. researcher accesses them, and writes a book which I then can buy.

 

[piegrande]

I failed to say so before, but the fact you found metal objects which have been identified as Aztec money certainly indicates they used money before Cortes. Sorry about the error. This is exciting news to me.

 

[somehiker]

A couple of links with more information...

http://www.moneta-coins.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=315&title=-27aztec-27-hoe-money&cat=608

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?key=35&gkey=100&objkey=5955

Regards:SH

 

[cactusjumper]

Richard,

As far as I know, the pictures you have posted are copper/bronze tools. I believe they are chisels and chopping knives/scrapers. Cacao beans and textiles were the primary form of "money" for the Aztecs. Tools were used as a medium of trade, like any other product the people could produce.

I am no expert, so my opinion is simply based on what I have read over the years. Can you tell us when these objects were first considered "money" and who first advanced that theory?

Money was created to provide a medium that was more convenient than the barter system. It solved the double coincidence of wants problem inherent in the barter system.

Many thanks for starting such an interesting topic.

Take care,

Joe Ribaudo

 

[cactusjumper]

It may be that the phrase "hoe money" was first coined (no pun intended) in the 1930s by an American named, Dr. J.H. Furbuy. He found the metal objects being used by Mano and Gio tribes in Liberia. It was called "hoe money" due to the fact that they were shaped like tools and weaponry.

The Aztec "hoe money" looks identical to the Liberian artifacts.

Joe

 

[hamiddetecting]

Congratulation!

 

[Bum Luck]

The problem is those books in many cases are not only in Spanish, but in some cases locked up in special libraries which can only be entered by those with special government authorization. Rats! So, I wait until a Ph.D. researcher accesses them, and writes a book which I then can buy.

Now there's a great argument for continued government funding of an institution like that............

You'd think it was the NSA.

Archaeologists. Harumph.

 

[motel6.5]

In my professional and astute opinon those Copper forged items are definetly Aztec money. Copper was always a
considered a Precious metal , and although these items might have doubled as a tool,they more than likely were used to trade with and purchase other items or services.maybe tattooes,food,medicene,etc...Would you care to sell one ? not kidding.

 

[somehiker]

'Aztec' Hoe Money - Museum Gallery
Forms of Aztec Currency | eHow.com
NMAH | Aztec Hoe Money

Seems this has been known for some time.

Regards:SH.

 

[Bum Luck]

I don't think they had "money" , per se. They were a Theocracy, with a fairly rigid social system with the priest class on top.

I think these were more a 'status' item.

 

[cactusjumper]

Bum Luck,

You are probably correct. The Aztec did not have money "per se". It was more of a barter/trade system. The principle items that served for what we would call money were cacao beans and cotton (quachtli), which was a woven cotton cape or blanket and was used as currency as well as for payments of tribute.

Take care,

Joe

 

[Minrelica]

Very cool Richard, I had no idea what Aztec money was until this thread. It must have really been something locating the caches. Was it all money?

Thanks for the post!

 

[somehiker]

Bum Luck,

You are probably correct. The Aztec did not have money "per se". It was more of a barter/trade system. The principle items that served for what we would call money were cacao beans and cotton (quachtli), which was a woven cotton cape or blanket and was used as currency as well as for payments of tribute.

Take care,

Joe

Joe:

Worth 8,000 cacao beans.....sounds like money to me.

From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History website:

NMAH | Aztec Hoe Money

" this standardized, unstamped currency had a fixed worth of 8,000 cacao seeds—the other common unit of exchange in Mesoamerica."

Probably used because they were easier to carry around,and count.
For someone who had a lot of cacao beans.
And something else to trade with,if they had no blankets (also bulky in quantity).

Wonder how many for a gallon of gas ?

Regards:SH.

 

[cactusjumper]

Wayne,

I looked at that site some time ago. The Aztec did not start making tools with copper until the time of the conquistadors, as far as I know. What do you suppose someone would buy with 8,000 cacao beans? One good turkey hen was worth 100 full cacao beans? How easy do you suppose it was to go down to the street market to buy a few things for dinner......using "hoe money"?

Perhaps the Internet is not the best place to learn about Aztec money, or how they lived day to day.

Not saying the copper did not have value, just don't believe it was used as "Aztec money". The Aztec had a lot of copper.

Maybe I just don't have enough imagination.

Take care,

Joe