CHINA, Eastern Zhou dynasty - Warring States Period. State of Wèi or Jìn. City of Wuan. Late 6th-early 5th centuries BC. Æ Sloping Shoulder Spade (48x86mm, 24.00 g).

Electronic Auction 512
Lot: 714. Estimated: $ 300

World, Bronze

Sold For $ 1 100. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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CHINA, Eastern Zhou dynasty - Warring States Period. State of Wèi or Jìn. City of Wuan. Late 6th-early 5th centuries BC. Æ Sloping Shoulder Spade (48x86mm, 24.00 g). Sloping shoulder spade with hollow handle; Wu in early zhuànshū Hànzì (seal script) characters. BN Chinoises I 64; Hartill 2.171i-iv var. (shape of Wu character). Green patina with rich earthen deposits and green encrustation, collection info in red ink. VF.

From the Elmer H. Frantz Collection.

Elmer H. Frantz was born on July 16, 1918 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Prior to graduating from Reading High School in 1936, Elmer enlisted in the U.S. Naval Communications Reserve. During WWII, he was stationed at an Alaskan Naval Air Base, where he participated in direct support to the U.S. sea and air force in Midway and other Pacific area operations. He would later be assigned to shore communications facilities in Alaska, Okinawa, Japan, and both coasts of the U.S., where he would rise from enlisted rank to Commissioned Warrant Officer and eventually to Senior Lieutenant (O-3). He also served as one of the original members of the NSA, as an Electronic Research Officer and Cryptologist.

An avid collector of Asian coins, Elmer built his collection while serving in the region from the 1940s through the 1960s. The collection is particularly strong in early Japanese cash and Meiji era coins. Elmer H. Frantz passed away at the age of 94 on November 23, 2012. CNG is honored to offer his collection and hopes that the final buyers will enjoy the coins for years to come.

Closing Date and Time: 23 March 2022 at 13:57:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to an 18% buyer’s fee.