A question for any with 'hands-on' experience with Golden cowries.

I came across an auction on eBay featuring a Golden Cowry. It seems to have a
beautiful dorsum but the view of the base simply cannot be that of the shell
which appears in the dorsal image, IMHO.

Since I have only held two Golden Cowries (once each), are there any CONCH-L
experts who might explain how the two images at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6524823825
can be of the same cowry?

The seller has assured me that they are the same shell, yet I remain
unconvinced. The shell in the dorsal image is quite inflated, without produced
extremities. The shell in the basal image has extended anterior and posterior
extremities.

Have I missed something very obvious or are these images of two separate shells?

Aloha,

Bob Dayle

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