yeipohualli pesos (Chav1)

yeipohualli pesos (Chav1)
Simplex Glyph
Notation

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black and white drawing or painting presents the simplex glyph for twenty pesos, given three times (a notation), referring to three twenties (yeipohualli), or 60. Each twenty is a round, black peso coin (the loanword "peso" appears in the contextualizing image text) in what looks like a crescent shape, with a corn cob inside. Perhaps the ears of corn are just in front of each round peso. The reading of a corn cob is owing to the segmentation of the kernels.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The association between corn cobs and the number twenty is a cultural one. The corn here is not literally present. Twenty is a "full count" in the vigesimal system, and twenty ears of corn was probably a customary grouping.

See below for some other examples of the use of corn cobs to represent twenty--chiconpohualli pesos, and cempohualli pesos.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

Epoualli

Gloss Normalization:

yeipohualli or eyipohualli

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Chavero, Codex (Chav)

Date of Manuscript:

1578

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Semantic Categories:

numbers

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Markets, Commerce, Economy

Money, Coins, Prices

Numbers, Math

Tributes, Taxation, Service

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

circle, circular or rounded

circle(s) (small, often concentric)

frontal view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

pesos, monedas, dinero, veintes, maíz, mazorcas

Museum & Rare Book Comparisons:

Museum/Rare Book Notes:

This Spanish colonial-era coin was one of several that have been found in the chinampas of Tlahuac (formerly Cuitlahuac) in the southeastern part of CDMX. Museo Tomás Medina Villarruel. Photo by Stephanie Wood, 18 Feb. 2024.

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

eyi, three, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/eyi
yei, three, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/yei
yeipohual(li), sixty, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/yeipohualli
pohual(li), one count, twenty, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/pohualli
peso, a peso, a unit of money, a loanword from Spanish, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/peso

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

sesenta pesos

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

The Codex Chavero of Huexotzinco (or Códice Chavero de Huexotzinco), https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_03246_001/?sp=1

Image Source, Rights:

The Codex Chavero of Huexotzinco (or Códice Chavero de Huexotzinco) is held by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México. It is published online by the World Digital Library and the Library of Congress, which is “unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection.”