Just in case you think you've seen it all-- an excessively rare boar's tusk is up for auction at St

Longacre

Here is the listing, in case you are so inclined!

PAPUA-NEW GUINEA.

Boar's Tusk. 100mm across circle. This boldly recurved, bright ivory tusk circles inward to a relatively sharp point. According to Paul Einzig in Primitive Money (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1951), dogs' teeth were a key currency in several areas of New Guinea for minor day-to-day transactions, while Boar's tusks were "big money," values at 200 dogs' teeth. Charles J. Opitz (An Ethnographic Study of Traditional Money, Ocala, FL, 2000), five pairs of such tusks were the going Bride Price at the end of the 20th century. On a more pedestrian note, tusks with a full curl, such as the present example, represented the price of a whole pig until inflation set under European rule. If one can grade a natural product, this handsome example might be called About Uncirculated. (200-300)

jonathanb

Gradeflation! That surely isn't any higher than XF!

numisma

It may only grade AU, but that tusk is worthy of a quality-for-the-grade sticker. Neat piece of money.

itsnotjustme

I had wild boar for lunch yesterday. I did not see a tusk on my plate thought.

Barndog

1. knew this was a Longacre post before sliding my eyes to the right for confirmation.
2. business must be slow today -- or the man is at lunch -- for Longacre to be delving into the animal parts section of the Stack's catalog

Danegeld

Neat, the ancient Kelts in Germany, England, and Ireland used these as Arm Bands when going into battle against the Romans (sans Ireland). In case you're wondering who/what the Kelts were, then understand you're probably of Keltic decent...

Take Care
Ben

Lakesammman

Boiler should buy that - would go nicely with his "lump-o-crap".