Money makes the world go around! Well, technically, it doesn’t really do that... but it sure can make things easier. How, you might ask? Well, imagine you’re a farmer and all you own is a cow. How do you go into town and shop at the grocery store, get a haircut and eat at a restaurant without money? Your cow is not exactly easily divisible… and you can’t exactly carry it in your wallet.
Money is something that represents a store of value. It’s something that the citizens of a nation or members of a group recognize as having value beyond its intrinsic value. A dollar bill is worth a dollar despite the fact that the paper it’s printed is only worth pennies.
In much of the west coins were the money of choice for millennia. Later paper currency was introduced, and today virtual currencies like Bitcoin, that only exist online, are trying to replace tangible money altogether.
Well, around the world there are places where money is not only not like dollars or coins, but doesn’t look anything like what we are familiar in terms of money. (It just goes to show how creative people can be!) Here are some examples:
Mbole Copper Currency
In the Congo there is a small tribe called the Mbole. From the 18th to the early 20th century they made copper currency bracelets which were used as currency for major transactions. These large, shiny pieces could be used to purchase property, pay off a significant debt or even act as something of a wedding ring for a bride.
These substantial pieces were hammered out of single sheet of copper ingot and, once flat, formed to give it a round shape. In this case the value of the bracelet was closely associated with the size, as copper was an expensive material and forming one took a great deal of time and effort. Worn on an ankle or wrists, these bracelets were seen as a symbol of status, much like diamond rings or fashionable watches in the west.
Kina Shells
In the verdant highlands of Papua New Guinea beautiful Kina Shells play the role of money. Kina Shells are actually made from Gold Lip Shells...a type of Oyster similar to the Black Lip shells that contain pearls. With great care they are carved and shaped and polished to give them their stunning beauty.
The Kina Shell currencies are often made into necklaces or breastplates which are worn for ceremonial occasions. Color may be added to the shells during the process and cowrie shells may be added for additional decoration. Although the Kina Shell currencies have largely been replaced with paper currency (which not surprisingly is called the Kina…) in some places the shells retain some, if not all of their status of money. Indeed, because of their value, they are sometimes used to pay for major purchases or are given as dowries to the parents of brides.
Tajere Currency – sometimes called Mumuye Currency
These long and thick currency pieces are forged from iron in eastern Nigeria. Typically there is a thick center with two tapered rods that exude in opposite directions. This distinctive style was a hallmark which indicated that they were likely forged by members of the Mumuye tribe. Other tribes living in the western part of the country, which abuts Chad and Cameroon, sometimes used these pieces as well, included the Fulani and the Juken.
Dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, these pieces sometimes had shapes worked in the ends for differentiation and decoration. Some were simple fans while others might be formed into animals or other shapes. These pieces could be used for major transactions such as dowries as well as smaller, less significant transactions.
Yua Wenga
We return to Papua New Guinea where Yua means money and Wenga are clam rings. The Yua Wenga currencies are carved from giant clam shells using pieces of bamboo. Like the other currencies discussed above, Yua Wengas are used for major transactions, including property sales and marriages. Unlike the Kina shells, which were primarily used in the mountainous regions of the country, the Yua Wenga currencies were more often found among the tribes living near the coast.
Konga Legband / Copper Currency
These legbands were both currency and status symbols for the Mongo tribe of northwest Congo. They were made by pouring hot copper and tin into molds set in the ground. Once formed they were removed and bent around trees until they had
the appropriate size.
Because they could be heavy (up to 20 lbs) women would wrap fabric and leaves – called Litelele – around their feet to keep from damaging them – the feet that is! Typically they were worn for celebrations and relatively short periods, but on occasion brides might actually wear them for months at a time!
And so it goes. Apparently with money, sometimes there's more than meets the eye. Money pieces can act as decorations, status symbols and of course, currency to transact sales… or weddings. These pieces may not be as convenient as a $20 bill or a credit card, but they’re a lot more convenient than a cow! Think about them the next time you’re unhappy because you left Quik Trip and the cashier gave you some change that is now jingling in your pocket!
Money is something that represents a store of value. It’s something that the citizens of a nation or members of a group recognize as having value beyond its intrinsic value. A dollar bill is worth a dollar despite the fact that the paper it’s printed is only worth pennies.
In much of the west coins were the money of choice for millennia. Later paper currency was introduced, and today virtual currencies like Bitcoin, that only exist online, are trying to replace tangible money altogether.
Well, around the world there are places where money is not only not like dollars or coins, but doesn’t look anything like what we are familiar in terms of money. (It just goes to show how creative people can be!) Here are some examples:
Mbole Copper Currency
These substantial pieces were hammered out of single sheet of copper ingot and, once flat, formed to give it a round shape. In this case the value of the bracelet was closely associated with the size, as copper was an expensive material and forming one took a great deal of time and effort. Worn on an ankle or wrists, these bracelets were seen as a symbol of status, much like diamond rings or fashionable watches in the west.
Kina Shells
In the verdant highlands of Papua New Guinea beautiful Kina Shells play the role of money. Kina Shells are actually made from Gold Lip Shells...a type of Oyster similar to the Black Lip shells that contain pearls. With great care they are carved and shaped and polished to give them their stunning beauty.
The Kina Shell currencies are often made into necklaces or breastplates which are worn for ceremonial occasions. Color may be added to the shells during the process and cowrie shells may be added for additional decoration. Although the Kina Shell currencies have largely been replaced with paper currency (which not surprisingly is called the Kina…) in some places the shells retain some, if not all of their status of money. Indeed, because of their value, they are sometimes used to pay for major purchases or are given as dowries to the parents of brides.
Tajere Currency – sometimes called Mumuye Currency
Dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, these pieces sometimes had shapes worked in the ends for differentiation and decoration. Some were simple fans while others might be formed into animals or other shapes. These pieces could be used for major transactions such as dowries as well as smaller, less significant transactions.
Yua Wenga
Konga Legband / Copper Currency
These legbands were both currency and status symbols for the Mongo tribe of northwest Congo. They were made by pouring hot copper and tin into molds set in the ground. Once formed they were removed and bent around trees until they had
Because they could be heavy (up to 20 lbs) women would wrap fabric and leaves – called Litelele – around their feet to keep from damaging them – the feet that is! Typically they were worn for celebrations and relatively short periods, but on occasion brides might actually wear them for months at a time!
And so it goes. Apparently with money, sometimes there's more than meets the eye. Money pieces can act as decorations, status symbols and of course, currency to transact sales… or weddings. These pieces may not be as convenient as a $20 bill or a credit card, but they’re a lot more convenient than a cow! Think about them the next time you’re unhappy because you left Quik Trip and the cashier gave you some change that is now jingling in your pocket!
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| Mbole tribe members wearing copper currency |
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