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.