Rare Nei series high quality knife money, city of Yi, ca.400-220 BC, "Warring State" period, Yan Kingdom under the Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Large archaic Chinese character Yi (also can be read as "Ming") / Two large archaic characters Nei Jiu (?) (“inside (furnace), 9”). 140mm long, 16.04 grams. Hartill #4.43, type #6.p.

Rare and high quality piece. The second character on the reverse is unknown – it might be a very usual jiu (9), though it is lacking a few stroke to be that character. Ex: Q. David Bowers Collection.