Editor’s Note: For nearly 70 years, the feature-rich pages of Coins magazine tracked the history, fun and the growth of this great hobby, while also attracting new collectors to pursue what was once deemed the “hobby of kings.” Dusting off these time-aged issues, from the early 1960s and beyond, each installment of “Past Times with Coins,” written by its former longtime editor, explores what nuggets of interest they contain.
As I believe I mentioned in a prior column, the entryway at Krause Publications in Iola, Wis., once boasted a genuine piece of Yap Island stone money. Albeit a small one, compared to those found on the Micronesian island, it was still a fascinating display.
In the August 1964 issue of Coins magazine, Robert Obojski took an in-depth look at various forms of primitive money in a feature titled appropriately enough, “The Fascinating World of Odd and Curious Money.”
“Tiger claws, elephant tails, salt, brick tea, dog teeth, cakes of soap, ceremonial axes, stones, shells – these terms may not mean much to the coin collector at first glance but, nevertheless, all of the above have been used over the years as money
