CATALOGUE. PALEOMONEDS

This name is given to cauris, ceramic beads, bronze handles and bracelets, small bronze or iron bars, tools and tools of tillage, and even raffia fabrics and everything that served as currency of exchange or purchase to the Africans before the arrival of the Europeans and the minting of the coin, occupying the gold powder or in nuggets a very important place. Barter or purchase in any of its forms have always existed. Africans have known the coin minted since the century XVI, but for centuries before the minting of its currency itself, the most common “primitive” coins in Africa have been made up of bracelets, pieces of iron or copper of the most varied and artistic forms, working tools such as snouts or scarves, knives, throwing knives and the famous shells coming from the Indian Ocean, called “cauris” among the most common as well as ceramic pearls or beads. Possession of these coins was a symbol of power and wealth. They could serve as ornamentation in clothing and formalize transactions, personal or clan, buy livestock or other property, pay the dowry of married daughters and be bequeathed in inheritance as well as other property. The “cauri” because it could not be forged was the currency par excellence, of sale and barter, in much of Africa. This little white shell met with impressive success both in black Africa and in some Arab countries. Their possession determined the degree of fortune of their owners. Used in many cultures of the Continent, in some areas it became the only currency of exchange over the centuries. Some Lobi still use them and was a very widespread use until well into century XX. Towards the year 1.900A hundred cauris were worth 5 a 20 100ths of gold.