History’s Weirdest Currencies

Rai Stones – Yap Island, Micronesia

Massive stone discs were used as currency. Ownership, not physical possession, signified wealth.

Cacao Beans – Aztec Empire

Chocolate was so prized by the Aztecs that cacao beans were used to buy everything from food to slaves.

Salt Bricks – Ancient Ethiopia

Salt was literally money in trade, used as currency and valued more than gold in many regions.

Squirrel Pelts – Medieval Russia

Used in fur trades and as small-change currency, squirrel pelts even factored into royal tax systems.

Knife Money – Ancient China

Shaped like blades, these metal “knives” were used as currency before round coins became standard.

Tea Bricks – Central Asia

Compressed blocks of tea served both as drink and currency in Mongolia, Tibet, and parts of China.

Cowry Shells – Africa and Asia

One of the longest-used forms of currency, cowry shells were once accepted across multiple continents.