Page:Origin of metallic currency and weight standards.djvu/30

 in use in the province of Yunnam. He says ( p. 62, Yule's Transl.): "In Carajan gold is so abundant that they give one Saggio of gold for six of the same weight of silver. And for small change they use the porcelain shell. These are not found in the country but are brought from India." How ancient is their use in Asia is shown by the fact that Layard found cowries in the ruins of Nineveh.

Wampum (made from the Venus mercenaria).

Beyond all doubt the wampum belts of the North American Indians served the purpose of currency. They consisted of black and white shells rubbed down, polished and made into beads, and then strung into belts or necklaces, which were valued according to their length, colour and lustre, the black beads being the most valuable. Thus one foot of black peag was worth two feet of white peag. It was so well established as a currency among the natives that in 1649 the Court of Massachusetts ordered that it should be received as legal tender among the settlers in the payment of debts up to forty shillings.