Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
August 2013 ANA Auction - Sessions C & D 14 August 2013
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WORLD CROWNS & MINORS
YAP Island. Stone Money "Fei", ND (19th Century or Earlier).
27.5 inches x 26 x 5 inches (deep); approximately 220 pounds. Opitz-pg.316-321; Quiggin-pg.144, pl#12; Sigler-pg.19; Gillilland-Smithsonian Institute "The Stone Money of Yap a Numismatic Survey"-pg.58-type-d. Pre O'Keefe type. Yap Island produced the world’s largest and heaviest coinage. These pieces are most commonly referred to as "Fei" or "Rai" and considered sacred amongst the local people. The largest examples are in excess of 12 feet in diameter, weighing about 2 tons. Due to their size, the larger stones often traded ownership without physically being moved. The larger stones would remain in place as it became common knowledge among the inhabitants that it now belonged to a new owner. As there is no large source of stone on Yap, the stones were quarried and shaped on the island of Malakal in Palau, then shipped back to Yap on native boats. The stones are made of calcite, which is abundant on Malakal. Some of the larger stones took as long as two years to quarry and shape using axes made from giant clams. The trip from Malakal to Yap via boat was a hazardous voyage that claimed many lives. Often the value placed on a stone directly related to the amount of human lives lost in order to quarry and deliver it to Yap. Although there are many sizes and shapes of Yap stones, they can be classified into two basic types, pre and post O'Keefe. The earliest stones were produced by the locals using axe heads made from segments of the giant clam. Later stones or "O'Keefe stones" were produced in the 1800's using metal tools. David O'Keefe was American of Irish heritage who came to Yap with tools and a junk boat acquired in Hong Kong. He used the vessel to quarry and transport "Fei" from Malakal to Yap, setting himself up as the King of Yap island, as a result of the process. The 1954 motion picture "His Majesty O'Keefe" starring Burt Lancaster, albeit somewhat dramatized and engrossed, fairly accurately portrays this series of events.
The stone offered here is of the pre O'Keefe type, quarried and shaped by the native Yapese using the traditional axes made from giant clam shells. In terms of size, this is the largest pre O'Keefe stone we have offered for sale, weighing approximately 220 pounds. Larger stones are seldom available for sale, as removing them from the island was extremely hard, due to their size and weight. In terms of condition, this stone is complete, showing only minor chips at the edges (as usual for a stone of this size). It has often been referred to as the key or "Holy Grail" to assembling a collection of primitive money. This magnificent stone was given to an American who was born on Yap Island. At the time of his birth his father was a highly respected educator on Yap, teaching the local people English. As is custom with a first born son on Yap, this fantastic stone was given as a gift at that time. This exceptional Yap Stone is worthy of the most sophisticated of collections and dwarfs most of the specimens housed in major museums. A world class example.
Estimate: $20000
YAP Island. Stone Money "Fei", ND (19th Century or Earlier).
27.5 inches x 26 x 5 inches (deep); approximately 220 pounds. Opitz-pg.316-321; Quiggin-pg.144, pl#12; Sigler-pg.19; Gillilland-Smithsonian Institute "The Stone Money of Yap a Numismatic Survey"-pg.58-type-d. Pre O'Keefe type. Yap Island produced the world’s largest and heaviest coinage. These pieces are most commonly referred to as "Fei" or "Rai" and considered sacred amongst the local people. The largest examples are in excess of 12 feet in diameter, weighing about 2 tons. Due to their size, the larger stones often traded ownership without physically being moved. The larger stones would remain in place as it became common knowledge among the inhabitants that it now belonged to a new owner. As there is no large source of stone on Yap, the stones were quarried and shaped on the island of Malakal in Palau, then shipped back to Yap on native boats. The stones are made of calcite, which is abundant on Malakal. Some of the larger stones took as long as two years to quarry and shape using axes made from giant clams. The trip from Malakal to Yap via boat was a hazardous voyage that claimed many lives. Often the value placed on a stone directly related to the amount of human lives lost in order to quarry and deliver it to Yap. Although there are many sizes and shapes of Yap stones, they can be classified into two basic types, pre and post O'Keefe. The earliest stones were produced by the locals using axe heads made from segments of the giant clam. Later stones or "O'Keefe stones" were produced in the 1800's using metal tools. David O'Keefe was American of Irish heritage who came to Yap with tools and a junk boat acquired in Hong Kong. He used the vessel to quarry and transport "Fei" from Malakal to Yap, setting himself up as the King of Yap island, as a result of the process. The 1954 motion picture "His Majesty O'Keefe" starring Burt Lancaster, albeit somewhat dramatized and engrossed, fairly accurately portrays this series of events.
The stone offered here is of the pre O'Keefe type, quarried and shaped by the native Yapese using the traditional axes made from giant clam shells. In terms of size, this is the largest pre O'Keefe stone we have offered for sale, weighing approximately 220 pounds. Larger stones are seldom available for sale, as removing them from the island was extremely hard, due to their size and weight. In terms of condition, this stone is complete, showing only minor chips at the edges (as usual for a stone of this size). It has often been referred to as the key or "Holy Grail" to assembling a collection of primitive money. This magnificent stone was given to an American who was born on Yap Island. At the time of his birth his father was a highly respected educator on Yap, teaching the local people English. As is custom with a first born son on Yap, this fantastic stone was given as a gift at that time. This exceptional Yap Stone is worthy of the most sophisticated of collections and dwarfs most of the specimens housed in major museums. A world class example.
Estimate: $20000