Cowry

a small shell of eastern waters, formerly in demand by the natives of western Africa for ornaments. Strings of cowry were used to purchase ivory or any other commodity the negroes had to sell. British merchants used to collect immense quantities of money cowry in the East Indies for purposes of barter. Three hundred tons a year were brought to Liverpool during the middle of the nineteenth century. Cowry shells still have value among some tribes. The money cowry is about an inch long and is almost as wide. Roughly speaking, it may be likened to a small egg slit the length of one side with the edges tucked in. It has a yellow or white shell, not especially beautiful. When the English took possession of India, cowry shells were in regular use as money, at the rate of about one-sixth of a cent per dozen. See Wampum; Barter