SHELL MONEY. A primitive medium of exchange which consisted of certain sea-shells in their natural condition, o• nearly so, or of pieces of sea-shells formed into heads, o• otherwise shaped. In the former class fall the money cowry (see Cownv), the dentalium, and several other shells; and in the latter the wampum of the Eastern United States and currencies of the Pacific Coast. All money shells were first prized for theis rarity and beauty, and only later became a me. :la of exchange. On the coast of Puget Sound ,nd northward the tusk-shell (Dentelium) prehistorically served the purposes of money among the Indians of a large region. and main tained this value and function until very recent times.
The shell money of the second class was more nearly a true coinage, since it derived its value from the art and labor which had been expended upon it and the difficulty of counterfeiting. As late as 1882, at least, the local trade of the Solo mon Islands was carried on by means of flat beads, made from certain small sea-shells which were ground to the proper shape by the women. As the proper grinding of these was a slow and skillful process. no more was made than was needed, and the recognized relative value was steadily maintained. Very similar to this was the wampum (q.v.). which was found in use among the tribes of the eastern half of North America at the time of its discovery by Euro peans. Wampum circulated at well-understood rates of exchange throughout the interior as far as the Saskatchewan River and the Rocky Moun tains. Certain coast tribes favorably situated (notably the Narraganset) made wampum as a regular occupation. The best and most was made between Cape Alas- and Cape Cod. These beads were of two kinds—a more precious sort formed only from the violet-colored itutsele-sear in 1 he interior of the quahog (Venus mereenuria), and a white sort, or 'seawall' of inferior value, c•om monly made from the central column of one or the other of the large spiral winkles or conchs (q.v.). The inferiority of the latter kind lay in
the greater ease with which it could be produced. The Wa m pum sometimes carried loose, hut usual ly strung upon sinew threads in lengths of ap proximately six feet, «•as a true currency ; the merchants and traders, both Dutch and English, at once adopted this native money. and for many years used it in preference to European coins not only in Indian trading, but in affairs between themselves. Seeing this new use, the Indians made an increased quantity, and, worse, the white man, using machinery, began to turn out cheaply great quantities of shell beads. The result was a rapid depreciation of values, so that frequent enactments by the local governments were re quired to keep a fathom of wampum at par with designated numbers of pence or stivers. It final ly disappeared not only because the Indians ceased to make it. but because they hoarded all they could obtain.
In California several forms of shell money cir culated, each piece of a definite shape and care fully made by grinding down for one inferior kind (ffiawok') some clam-shell. as Saxidomus, and for the other more valuable kind (sallo'), abalone-shells. A great amount of this shell money was in circulation among the aborigines of California and Oregon previous to 1850; and it long continued to be held at a high valuation, measured in gold, among the Indians, and is still hoarded by the old men.
Consult: Ingersoll. in I'ousins (New York, 1884), and the many historical sources of information mentioned by him ; also several papers by R. E. Stearns in the publications of the United States National Aluseum. For the Pacific Coast, consult Powers. Contributions to \'o•tic American Ethnology, vol. iii. (Washington. 1877),