Cowrie Shells
Definition
Small shells obtained from marine mollusks that were widely used throughout history as currency in various parts of the world.
Analogy
Imagine cowrie shells as old-school coins. Just like we use coins for transactions today, people used these shells as a form of money in ancient times.
Related terms
Barter System: An old method of exchange where goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange such as money.
Commodity Money: A type of money whose value comes from the commodity out which it is made.
Currency System: The system by which a country's money supply is managed.
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