Clue
Time Map Progress: Jason Quill Pathway
The Mysteries of Money
In 2016 the U.S. Mint commissioned a $1 coin honoring the creator of the Cherokee syllabary. Any day of the week, his Cherokee name is the target you're looking for. But counting the English version of his name tells the time.
But there are historical coins with strange mysteries as well. The 2,600 year old Harappan Stamp Seals from the area of modern day Pakistan include an ancient script no one can read. The advanced Bronze Age civilization may have used them for more than just money. But because there is no “Rosetta Stone” to translate the inscriptions, the world will never know their true purpose. This mirrors Folk Secrets, where an ancient language shrouds the true mysteries of Thuban coins.
Then there’s the Congolese Katanga Crosses, dating from the the 13th to the 20th Centuries. The production of these X-shaped copper ingots was highly secretive, known only to an exclusive group called the ‘Copper Eaters.’ Because they took their secrets to the grave, modern metallurgists still study how they managed to cast such uniform shapes with primitive equipment.
Hard to believe how differently I feel about the Draco Hoard these days. Elma has truly shown me the light. Glad you’re still in the hunt. Let’s go find that treasure.
The treasure of Folk Secrets centers around Thuban coins. According to the stories, these ancient coins were hand minted with the specific purpose of stabilizing Thuban. As you’ll recall, Thuban is a strange substance originating from a meteorite mined by ancient Egyptians–at least according to Patricia’s Polaris Project research. It reacts violently with most metals (steel, copper, iron, etc.), creating a sometimes uncontrollable electromagnetic reaction. But one metal, gold, actually works as a stabilizer. Early-on Thuban had to be carefully stored in gold containers. And even then, it was dangerous to transport and handle. To solve this problem, the substance was alloyed with gold and then minted into coinage—a process allowing Thuban to safely be accumulated and transported. All told, it turned Thuban coins into the most sought after mystery-currency in the world.
Photo Credit: www.harappa.com
Photo Credit: Hamill Gallery, Tim Hamill
Another example is a coin that may have predicted bitcoins with a decentralized ledger. The Rai Stones of Yap Island, Micronesia were massive limestone discs with a hole in the middle. One of these massive coins (possibly weighing 4 tons) sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. But the islanders still allowed it to be counted as wealth. For centuries, that invisible stone on the ocean floor was bought, sold, and traded to pay for things. It was exactly like a physical version of cryptocurrency today, but centuries before computers existed.
Sinincerely,
Jason Quill
Photo Credit: Brad Holland, from Fitzpatrick & McKeon, Economic Anthropology
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