Our special video series looks at some of the more unique shells at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel, ...

1,200 BC: Cowrie Shells The first use of cowries ... 118 BC: Leather Money Leather money was used in China in the form of one-foot-square pieces of white deerskin with colorful borders.

The Cowrie shell, part of the Cypraeidae family, is found in Western Australia and is known for its glossy exterior and spotted pattern. This particular shell is extremely rare, with only a ...