Sentence:  Money in the sense in which it is here employed is simply the medium of exchange for the transfer of capital. Its form is unimportant. It may be gold or silver, bank notes, or bank credits. lt may be the leather and wood of the Romans, or the cowry shells of the Indian, or even the <WSD>macoute</WSD> of the African, which was but a sign of value having no substantial existence. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An abstract measure of value, said to be used by various peoples of Africa.