Before money, these 8 items were used as currencies in pre-colonial Africa

Farida Dawkins August 02, 2018
Last Edited by:Ismail Akwei Updated: August 2, 2018

Before money, these 8 items were used as currencies in pre-colonial Africa

An assortment of cowrie shells…Everything Soulful

Cowrie shells

Although used throughout the continent of Africa, it is widely known to have been utilized in Western Africa.

The shells were used individually or strung together to equal a greater amount.

Cowrie shells were used in the Kingdom of Kongo and in West Africa up until the 20th century. The Ghanaian currency, Cedi, is named after the cowry.

Conversations

Must Read

Connect with us

Join our Mailing List to Receive Updates