Venus of Valdivia 10 Sucres Ecuador Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making (Pre-Columbian) 1991 (Goddess)

Venus of Valdivia 10 Sucres Ecuador Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making (Pre-Columbian)

Reverse: Denomination in digits, denomination in Braille, an image of a statue of the Valdivia culture (Venus de Valdivia)
Lettering: 10 SUCRES
VENUS DE VALDIVIA
Translation: 10 Sucres
Venus of Valdivia

Obverse: Name of the country, coat of arms, year of issue
Lettering: REPUBLICA DEL ECUADOR
1991
Translation: Republic of Ecuador
1991

Features
Issuer Ecuador
Period Republic (1830-date)
Type Standard circulation coin
Year 1991
Value 10 Sucres (10 ECS)
Currency Sucre (1884-2000)
Composition Nickel clad steel
Weight 6.25 g
Diameter 24.0 mm
Thickness 2.0 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Coin alignment ↑↓
Demonetized 9 October 2000
Number N# 7703
References KM# 92.2, Schön# 86.2

Wikipedia:
The "Venus" of Valdivia likely represented actual people, as each figurine is individual and unique, as expressed in the hairstyles. The figures were made joining two rolls of clay, leaving the lower portion separated as legs and making the body and head from the top portion. The arms were usually very short, and in most cases were bent towards the chest, holding the breasts or under the chin.

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The Valdivia culture is one of the oldest settled cultures recorded in the Americas. It emerged from the earlier Las Vegas culture and thrived on the Santa Elena peninsula near the modern-day town of Valdivia, Ecuador between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE.

Remains of the Valdivia culture were discovered in 1956 on the western coast of Ecuador by the Ecuadorian archeologist Emilio Estrada, who continued to study this culture. American archeologists Clifford Evans and Betty Meggers joined him in the early 1960s in studying the type-site.

The Valdivia lived in a community that built its houses in a circle or oval around a central plaza. They were believed to have a relatively egalitarian culture of sedentary people who lived mostly off fishing, though they did some farming and occasionally hunted for deer to supplement their diet. From the archeological remains that have been found, it has been determined that Valdivians cultivated maize, kidney beans, squash, cassava, chili peppers and cotton plants. The latter was processed, spun and woven to make clothing.

Valdivian pottery, dated to 2700 BCE, initially was rough and practical, but it became splendid, delicate and large over time. They generally used red and gray colors, and the polished dark red pottery is characteristic of the Valdivia period. In their ceramics and stone works, the Valdivia culture shows a progression from the most simple to much more complicated works.

The trademark Valdivia piece is the "Venus" of Valdivia: feminine ceramic figures. The "Venus" of Valdivia likely represented actual people, as each figurine is individual and unique, as expressed in the hairstyles. The figures were made joining two rolls of clay, leaving the lower portion separated as legs and making the body and head from the top portion. The arms were usually very short, and in most cases were bent towards the chest, holding the breasts or under the chin.

Ceramic phase A of the Valdivia was long thought to be the oldest pottery produced by a coastal culture in South America, dated to 3000-2700 BCE. In the 1960s, a team of researchers proposed there were significant similarities between the archeological remains and pottery styles of Valdivia and those of the ancient Jōmon culture, active in this same period on the island of Kyūshū, Japan). They compared both decoration and vessel shape, pointing to techniques of incising. The Early to Middle Jomon pottery had antecedents dating 10,000 years, but the Valdivia pottery style seemed to have developed rather quickly. In 1962 three archeologists, Ecuadorian Emilio Estrada and Americans Clifford Evans and Betty Meggers suggested that Japanese fishermen had gotten blown to Ecuador in a storm and introduced their ceramics to Valdivia at that time. Their theory was based on the idea of diffusion of style and techniques.

Their concept was challenged at the time by other archaeologists, who argued that there were strong logistical challenges to the idea that Japanese could have survived what would have been nearly a year and a half voyage in dugout canoes. The cultures were separated by a distance of 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles). Researchers argued that Valdivia ceramics (and culture) had developed independently, and those apparent similarities were a result simply of constraints on technique, and an "accidental convergence" of symbols and style.

In the 1970s, what is believed widely to be conclusive evidence refuting the diffusion theory was found at the Valdivia type-site, as older pottery and artifacts were found below these excavations. Researchers found what is called San Pedro pottery, pre-dating Phase A and the Valdivia style. It was more primitive. Some researchers believe pottery may have been introduced by people from northern Colombia, where comparably early pottery was found at the Puerto Hormiga archaeological site. In addition, they think that the maize at Valdivia was likely introduced by people living closer to Meosamerica, where it was domesticated. In addition, other pottery remains of the San Pedro style were found at sites about 5.6 miles (9 km) up the river valley.

Additional research at both several coastal sites, including San Pablo, Real Alto, and Salango, and Loma Alta, Colimes, and San Lorenzo del Mate inland have resulted in a major rethinking of Valdivian culture. It has been reclassified as representing a "tropical forest culture" with a riverine settlement focus. There has been major re-evaluation of nearly every aspect of its culture.

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Wikipedia:
Ecuadorian law describes the arms as follows:

The Arms of Ecuador shall be an oval shield containing inside, in the upper part the sun with the part of the Zodiac where one finds the signs corresponding to the memorable months of March, April, May and June; in the lower part, to the right shall be represented the historical mountain Chimborazo, wherefrom shall start a river, and where it appears most abundant shall be a steamship, having for a mast a caduceus, as a symbol of navigation and commerce. The shield shall rest on a bundle of consular beams, a symbol of the republican dignity. It shall be adorned on the outside with national flags and branches of palm and laurel, and surmounted by a condor with wings displayed.

History
The shield was introduced after the victory of the liberal revolution of 1845, but then flanked by white-blue-white flags; which were then replaced in the reintroduction of the Tricolor flags. The coat of arms in its current form was approved by congress on October 31, 1900.