Money or ingots? Metrological research on pre-contact Ecuadorian “axe-monies”

The so-called “axe-monies”, trapezoidal sheet metal objects made of arsenical copper alloy, are associated with graves and hoards of the Manteño-Huancavilca (AD 600–1532) and Milagro-Quevedo (AD 400–1532) cultures, both located on the southern coast of Ecuador. Historically, scholars identified these artifacts as money, relating them to a currency system. This paper aims to test this hypothesis by investigating the degree of standardization (if any) through analyzing an important sample of these objects. Metrological analysis of their dimensions (length, width) and weight show that the currency hypothesis is flawed because neither clustering of dimensions nor a tendency towards a single (range of) weight value(s) is found. We suggest that the axe-monies may have been used as ingots, for arsenical copper alloys were a key commodity in the framework of exchange involving different cultures across America’s Pacific coast.