Abstract
Melanesian Shell-Money.—In No. 1 of vol. 1 of the Anthropological Series of the Publications of the Field Museum, Chicago, Mr. Albert B. Lewis describes the Melanesian shell-money in the museum collections. Many different kinds of shell-money are in use in Melanesia, but each is confined to a small area, outside which it has little or no value. Usually it takes the form of small discs on varying lengths of string; but in some places, such as the central Solomons, large shell-rings were manufactured which had a high value. Tanga arm rings in New Zealand would each buy a wife or one or two pigs. In the Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, the dwarra currency was strung on rattan which could be broken to any length to make change. The Duke of York Islands was an important centre for the manufacture of the broad-shell variety of money called pele. It was put up in short strings tied in bunches. Though it had a standard value it was not actually used as money, but was traded to New Ireland and New Britain. The chief centre of manufacture of shell-money was the small islands around New Ireland, and the great number of these islands must be held to account for the great number of varieties. The value depended on colour and workmanship, the most valuable being the small red discs. The most elaborate and valuable variety of New Ireland money was that known as ‘pig money’, which was used for the purchase of pigs for use in ceremonial. Its value was so great that only very wealthy people could acquire it. It has long disappeared from use. Shell disc money, though not so common as in New Ireland, was also in general use throughout the Solomons, Santa Cruz, Banks, Northern New Hebrides, and New Caledonia.
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Research Items. Nature 126, 147–149 (1930). https://doi.org/10.1038/126147a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/126147a0