What’s the colour of money? This is! Cowry shells like this were used as currency in the Maldives and beyond. The practice endured into the 20th century and even today you can find a subtle cowry shell printed on the Maldives 20 rufiyaa note.

The creature’s Latin name gives a bit of a clue as to its history - Monetaria moneta.

If you liked this, you should try listening to the History Happened Everywhere podcast.

links: https://linktr.ee/hhepodcast

#shellingout #maldives #historyofmoney