WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 353 
In 1657 it was too abundant, and grocers made a difference in 
prices Of 30, 40. and 50% when selling for wampum or _ beaver. 
Being both long and short, it was to be paid by measure, yet a 
white bead was to be a half farthing, a black bead a farthing. 
In 1658 there was a greater difference in prices. Eight white and 
four black were to be a stiver, and a coarse wheat loaf of 8 pounds 
was to be seven stivers in silver, 14 in wampum; and a white loaf 
of 2 pounds was to be four stivers in silver and eight in wampum 
for the present. In 1662 wampum went down to 24 white or 12 
black for a stiver. There was no duty on imported wampum. 
In these constant changes wampum at last became scarce. The 
English felt this inconvenience soon after taking New York, and a 
proclamation was issued in 1673. “Where as ye great scarcity of 
wampum throughout these His Royal Highness his territories hath 
been taken into consideration, great quantities thereof being yearly 
transported and carried away by the Indians, and little or none 
brought in as formerly, which is conceived to be occasioned by ye 
low value put thereupon: And for that there is no‘certain coin in 
ye Government, but in lieu thereof wampum is esteemed -and re- 
ceived as current payment for goods,” to encourage bringing it in, 
“instead of eight white and four black wampum, six white and three 
black shall pass in equal value thereof as a stiver or penny, and three 
times so much in ye value of silver.” 
The running comments on this currency have some interest. In 
1659, “wampum had already been reduced from six to eight for a 
stiver.” It ceased to be valued “by counting so many for a guilder 
or stiver, but by the handful, length or jfathom, and traders can 
afford under the circumstances, receiving more pieces for one stiver, 
to give a longer string to the natives for a beaver.” In paying 
soldiers that year wampum was to be reckoned at a lower rate; and 
this reduced “the currency value of a beaver from 5 to 7 guilders. 
This special reduction of wampum must necessarily be 
followed by a more general one, if we desire to prevent its com- 
plete debasement, caused by the abundant importation of wampum 
by the people of New England.” They had quick returns in trade, 
while the Dutch sat “on their boxes full of wampum, a medium of 
