Cowrie Shell

About Cowrie Shell

Cowrie shells were used as currency across Africa, Asia, and Oceania for thousands of years. The money cowrie Cypraea moneta was harvested from the Maldives and traded across the Indian Ocean. In Africa, cowries were used as bride price, tribute, and market currency until the 20th century. Arab and European traders imported billions of cowries into West Africa, causing inflation. The word shell in many African languages is synonymous with money. Cowries were the longest used currency form in human history.