Long before currency came into existence , people used different mediums for payment.These were exchanged for the goods and services one wanted.
Such mediums were SALT , TEA , SHELLS and TOBACCO.
SALT
How many of you are aware of the fact that salt was once considered as a form of money?
No diet can be complete without the pinch of salt , thats the reason salt became a way of payment. Man cannot live without it. Deficiency of salt leads to many diseases. In earlier days, salt became a substance which was as precious as gold. There were times when merchants paid salt to buy slaves and other essentials. It established the global routes. Even in Abyssinia, slabs of rock salts were used for stock exchange.
Even the word “salary “ is derived form the Latin word “salarium” which means salt money.
So, guess how important was salt in those days!! 🧐
TEA
Why is tea a mode of payment?🤔
At present world where a tiny card can facilitate payments of all kinds that is our credit and debit cards , centuries ago people used tea as a mode of payment in countries like China Siberia Mongolia Russia and Tibet between the 9th and 20th centuries.
Tea leaves and stocks were finely grounded into break forms of various sizes . They were stamped with values that varied according to the quality of tea produced . In case of smaller transaction, the breaks of tea were broken and pieces of it were given instead. The demand of tea money was so high that Swords, horses and valuable properties were given in exchange for it. The belief was that these bricks were consumed in times of hunger and also brewed as medicine. The producer of tea was China and it was exported to other countries on camels and yaks.
SHELL
The history of shell money dates back to 350 BC. Almost all continents America , Asia, Africa and Australia used the shell money. The shells would differ from continents to continents for which the currency of one tribe was rarely accepted among others. each tribe had their own peculiar shell money as of the continents. The portions from cone shaped shells were cut and polished for the use. The ancient Sumerians were among the first to use shell money. Later the Native Americans used long shelled molluscs. The Australian tribes were known to have used variety kinds of shells.
TOBACCO
Well tobacco is something we always have been told to keep away from. It is hazardous to health and can possibly kill its consumer. But it’s strange to know that centuries ago it was considered as money just like tea and salt as above mentioned. It dates back to the 17th century when tobacco played a major role as currency in American colonies. Its values was as par with gold. Tobacco held as the safest and most stable currency in places like Virginia and North Carolina. Somewhere In 1727 tobacco notes became legal tender in Virginia where the legislature had already rated 3 shillings for high quality tobacco . The system went to the extent of estimating a persons assets in annual pounds of tobacco but as time passed other currencies made their way and tobacco system was abandoned by mid 18th century.
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