The cowrie shells have been long revered in Black and African cultures, symbolizing community, ... Unlike coins or paper money, cowrie shells were durable and visually appealing, ...

Their relevance also sate beyond being used as money. They even represented power in trade: Europeans in the 16th century used cowries to enter African trade markets. Shells were used to purchase ...

She said her favorite story from her book was about the money cowrie. This is the shell adorning many bracelets and necklaces at local tourist shops. "These shells, served as money for more than ...

For millennia, money was a physical object, from Chinese cowrie shells to Roman coins. It ably served its societies, but only to a point. Over time, a new possibility emerged: the concept that the ...

One species of cowrie shell is known as the money shell because it was used so widely for this purpose. Shells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America. Credit ...

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, where the shell is located, is devoted to the study of seashells and their history. Note to readers: This is Part 2 in a five-part series.

Called a money cowrie, the shell was uncovered Sept. 13 in a trench on the property of William Shirley (1694-1771), a Royal Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Cowries belong to the sea snail family, which is why they are often referred to as shell money. While cowrie shells are primarily found in the Indian Ocean, they gained immense popularity ...

Their relevance also sate beyond being used as money. They even represented power in trade: Europeans in the 16th century used cowries to enter African trade markets. Shells were used to purchase ...