154 SOUTHERN CALIFORNfA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



About two thousand years ago the Romans commenced 

 using circular coins of bronze. A coin of this character made 

 about 2100 years ago (Fig. 1. PL 1.) is in the writer's collec- 

 tion. It was found in the ruins of Herculaneum. 



Among the simplest objects suitable for moneys and adopted 

 as such, were handsome natural crystals, or other forms of 

 mineral substances, and the beautiful shells of the sea shore. 

 These objects, in our age of universal travel and interchange 

 of commodities between nations and peoples throughout the 

 world, are easily obtained ; but in the ' earlier history of our 

 ra'^'^ they were rarely carried far from their original habitat. 

 Those peoples or tribes who had the good fortune to occupy 

 the regions near a sea shore had a great advantage over their 

 neighbors of the interior, in the comparative ease with which 

 they could obtain a supply of the shells which, by general con- 

 sent and usage, came to represent a bartering or purchasing 

 power. At some time during the history of many tribes sea 

 shells were recognized as universal media of exchange, and to 

 this day the natives of Africa, the Islands of the Pacific, and 

 some other countries use the Cowrie as money. This custom 

 was so general that when, after long ages of advancement, arts 

 and sciences were evolved, and man studied and classified the 

 other representatives of the animal kingdom, the marine shell 

 referred to was named, and is still known as Cypraea moneta, 

 or "The Money Cowrie;" (See Fig. 2, PL 1). In countries 

 where the cowrie is not found, or was not attainable, other 

 shells of different genera and species were used as representing 

 purchasing power. 



In this manner, also, the natural acquisitiveness of the race 

 manifested itself. I\Ian did not stop acquiring when he had 

 sufficient food, weapons and utensils for his immediate use, 

 but these shells were carried on the person, for the purpose 

 of purchasing such objects as their possessor might take a 

 fancy to acquire or store away, to be brought out and dis- 

 played upon great occasions, as material evidence of the wealth 

 or importance of the owner. A similar natural pride is shown 

 by more civilized peoples in the wearing of fine clothes, jew- 

 elry, diamonds and other precious stones, the display of fine 

 horses and carriages, expensive and elaborately ornamented 

 dwellings, expensive furniture and bric-a-brac. 



The Indian tribes of North America have for many ages 

 used portions of marine shells as money, and for more than 

 two centuries these shell beads formed the principal medium 

 of traffic between the Indians and the white man under the 

 name of wampum, or "wampum peage'': and so wide spread 

 and common was its use that the whites gave it a legal status 



