Another consignment sale by IslandShells323...BIG! Cypraea Aurantium #1 98.9mm, Gmelin 1791, SUPER CHOICE RARE GOLDEN SPECIMEN I still own the first Golden Cowrie I ever got. It was a birthday present... My mom, Ruth Fair, saw an ad in the paper, (Honolulu) someone was advertising they had shells under their house---dig them out and you could have them for a small price. Well, she checked it out. Almost immediately she saw, buried upside do...wn in the dirt, the unmistakable white base of a golden cowrie. She carefully dug it up---but---since Golden Cowries at the time sold for around $500, (about $8, 000 in today's money), she thought it was either just the base of one and nothing else, or that she wouldn't be able to afford it, us belonging to undeserving-poor like we did. Anyhow, she dug it up, found it was dirt encrusted but whole, so she took the shell to the lady running the sale and asked fearfully, How much? The lady answered, Twenty-five cents? That's shell collecting... it cleaned up great, too. Anyhow, this shell was found the old fashioned way--- by a diver (probably on a night dive, these babies really know how to hide during the daytime) in 80 feet of water on a reef wall off of Olango Island, Philippines. The unusual feature of this beauty is the fact that it's dingless, if you know what I mean, it doesn't have any white scars on its dorsum, and except for a couple of very hard to see imperfections on its dorsum, as the photos show, it is a beauty! From its glossy, slightly corded body to its creamy base with a grain of sand and a thin blue line embedded in it, this fabulous, near-GEM, big golden beauty in wonderful condition that will look terrific on your shelf! The perfect shell for a first-class collection. And yes, we give combined shipping, (just ask, but even if you don't, rest assured, we will refund any extra shipping charges as soon as we receive your order.) As for normal disclaimers, we do the best we can with photos, but color is tricky, especially since cell phone cameras automatically lean towards flesh-tone coloring, (that's why so many of the photos of shells on eBay show up with more orange than is really there, the camera changes the color, and damm if I can figure out how to stop that from happening, but I try, honest!As for feedback, as your know, sellers live and die by the feedback you leaved, (please leave fives!) so if you have a problem, just let me know! After all, I'm retired, and all messages go directly to my phone, so unless I'm out shell collecting I will get back to you pronto-like!Shell collecting! Now there's a phrase that brings smiles to your eyes, doesn't it!Anyhow, if you have read this far, you have my apologies and best wishes from those of us at IslandShells323. And don't forget, Home is where your collection is! BIG! Cypraea Aurantium #1 98.9mm, Gmelin 1791, SUPER CHOICE RARE GOLDEN SPECIMEN