diff --git a/bitshares/amount.py b/bitshares/amount.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/bitshares/amount.py
+++ b/bitshares/amount.py
@@ -79,11 +79,16 @@ class Amount(dict):
             self["asset"] = Asset(args[1], bitshares_instance=self.bitshares)
             self["symbol"] = self["asset"]["symbol"]
 
-        elif amount and asset:
+        elif amount and asset and isinstance(asset, Asset):
             self["amount"] = amount
             self["asset"] = asset
             self["symbol"] = self["asset"]["symbol"]
 
+        elif amount and asset and isinstance(asset, str):
+            self["amount"] = amount
+            self["asset"] = Asset(asset)
+            self["symbol"] = asset
+
         else:
             raise ValueError
[amount] make sure that quote/base can be dealt with as strings