3048

BRUNEI: brass cannon (180.5g), Choice VF

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / World Coins - Asia & Middle-East Start Price:85.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 150.00 USD
BRUNEI: brass cannon (180.5g), Choice VF
SOLD
500.00USD+ buyer's premium (100.00)
Open Live Bidding Window
SPENDING LIMITS - If you need a higher spending limit please email us at payments@stevealbum.com

BUYER'S PREMIUM - The Buyer's Premium is $20 per lot or 20% of the hammer price, whichever amount is greater.
BRUNEI: brass cannon (180.5g), SS-59, Opitz p.100, 127mm-long (8mm caliber), plain except for rings around the muzzle and the vent, likely made in the early 20th century, possibly of European origin, used as a practical hand-held weapon and as currency in Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak and other parts of Southeast Asia, Choice VF. These miniature cannons were made of various metals including bronze, brass, copper, and iron, and were actually fired on important occasions such as weddings and the birth of children. Valued by weight at $25-30 a picul, they were used extensively for a multitude of purposes, such as the barter of goods, bride price, payment of fines and the purchase of slaves. With the introduction of coins, these cannons gradually fell out of use. Many were also melted down during World War II, which accounts for their rarity today.