General

Seashells As Wealth

In last week’s blog post I talked about salt being used as currency in different parts of the world since ancient times.  The featured image for that post was one that I had created for a Fine Art America Personal Art Challenge with the theme being Wealth.

 Today’s featured image was also created for that challenge. This image depicts many small seashells piled up on a beach with a framed inset showing a zoomed in view of several different types of seashells.

Shell money has been used by native peoples all over the world as currency. Archaeologists believe that shell money could have been in use as early as 1200 B.C.

Although they are not as common today there are still countries that use particular shells as currency, including Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The Monetaria moneta, also known as the money cowry, these small sea snail species were extensively used as currency in various countries in Africa, Australia and Asia.

In many areas of the world seashells were used to make jewelry that was then traded or bartered as a form of currency, including the Eastern United States when jewelry called wampum was traded between the Native Americans and the European settlers.

I certainly feel wealthy when I am standing on a pile of seashells at the beach.  Not because those shells are worth money but because being on the shore of an ocean, surrounded by sand, seashells, dune grasses and the sound of breaking waves informs my brain that I am at peace in my happy place.

What makes you feel wealthy?

Do owning many or expensive material possessions make you feel wealthy?

Are there locations that make you feel wealthy when you are there?

Please feel free to share the answers to those questions in the comment section.

Click here for a larger view of the featured image.