Cowrie Shell, Asia, n.d.
date: label: date made
content: n.d.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) small cowrie shell with two holes in top
label: Description (Brief)
content: Asia, n.d.
label: Description
content: Small seashells have many characteristics that make them ideal monetary objects. They are durable, portable, and difficult to imitate. One species of cowrie shell is known as the money shell because it was used so widely for this purpose. Shells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America.
place: label: place made
content: Asia
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: East Asian Coins
label: Exhibition
content: Value of Money
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Meryem S. and Raymond J. Hebert
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0087.22
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0087.22
label: accession number
content: 1986.0087
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cowry shell
label: Object Name
content: alternative currency
label: Object Name
content: Cowrie Shell
label: Other Terms
content: alternative currency; Asia
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: shell, cowry (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: gray (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: natural (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1.45 cm x 1.1 cm x .65 cm; 9/16 in x 7/16 in x 1/4 in