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Early Currency

Early Currency

In the time before each country had its own currency, items including gold, silver, arrowheads, and beads were used for trade. Shipwrecked Treasure Museum offers the opportunity for visitors to see a wealth of different types of currency up close. In addition to our rare coin collection and huge silver bars, we have early forms of currency recovered from shipwrecks that include:

  • Arrowhead coins - Bronze arrowheads have been used as a currency since the 7th century. They were highly sought after because they could also be used for weaponry. 
  • Chinese coins - Used from 618 AD through the 19th century, these bronze coins were made with holes in the center so that the coins could be strung together for easy transportation. 
  • Glass beads - Venetian glass beads were first produced in the 15th century and were used to trade for goods around the world. Bead currency was a highly prized possession by pirates in the Mediterranean Sea, where the beads on display at Shipwrecked Treasure Museum were recovered from a ship that is believed to haveĀ  sunk somewhere between 1680 and 1720.

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