ZHOU: Spring-Autumn Period, 770-475 BC, AE shield (33.87g), Opitz page-152, Coole page-112, 43x141mm, these archaeological objects are called "Shield Framework" or "Gridiron" money, with a knotted dragon element at each end, light encrustation, a lovely example! VF, ex Shawn Hamilton Collection.
Some older Chinese numismatic works describe these as a form of primitive money, but there is no evidence to support such a claim. These are still rarely encountered ancient artifacts. Photo size reduced.