Hoe money Guerrero-Michoacán Region; Type 1a

These axe/hoe money that fall into Holser et al. Type 1a are attributed to the Guerrero-Michoacán area of the West Mexican Complex based on individual and hoard find spots. This type is known for being of a chisel-like shape, with sizes varying between pieces. Hosler et al. state that the Guerrero-Michoacán variants appear more axe-like due to those regions' associations of axes as symbols of power, alongside ritual and ceremonial functions during the Mesoamerican Postclassical period, before the European invasion. 

Hosler, Dorothy, Heather Lechtman, and Olaf Holm. Axe-Monies and Their Relatives. Studies in Pre-Columbian Art & Archaeology, Number Thirty. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 1990

These general types are known as Hoe money or Aztec hoes; however, that last term is a misnormer as the Aztecs did not actually use this as a currency. For a more comprehensive essay on these Hoe money pieces, please read The Hoe Money of Central and South America by James Martin.