Wampum beads as money.

In which I talk about wampum's brief tenure as the world's leading currency.
To see a video where I make a wampum button, click the link below.
• Making a wampum button.

[@chrisball3778]

Presumably, the cost of production would be influenced by how far you lived from the sea, where the shells could be gathered. People living on the coast could presumably get them pretty much as a by-product of gathering food, but further inland you'd have to trade for them and you'd have to pay to make it worthwhile for people to fetch the shells. That would also be a reason that they'd have made a pretty poor currency in precolumbian times- people living inland would have been economically disadvantaged by using them to the exclusion of other trade goods. It would be much better for them to exchange them for stuff they had in relative abundance compared to the people with all the shells. I find it fascinating how far back in time international trade went on, pretty much throughout the world.

[@dan_taninecz_geopol]

In economics this is called fungibility. Something being capable of mutual substitution is a core requirement for currency.

[@jeffmathison7983]

A few years ago, I tried making clam shell beads with my electric drill and grinder. It was a tough job even with the modern tools. I probably had about an hour in each one. And multiple attempts where the shell cracked before I was done.

[@altereggo3498]

Very interesting

[@timwrigley102]

I just finished reading, The Dawn of Everything, by Graeber & Weng. They discuss that calling wampum money is heavily westernizing their function. I'm curious what your thoughts on this are and how you view their pre-columbian use.

[@MalcolmPL]

They were beads first and foremost. For decorating clothing and for making wampum belts. But they were also valued trade goods, as they take a lot of time and skill to make and for many people they had to travel a long way. So they’re valuable and portable, which makes them ideal for trading, but they weren’t really a currency until the British colonies adopted them. They were just another trade good.

[@JohnDoe-ek9ng]

We Stan comrade Graeber

[@blaf55]

soo bacily im dressed in money , hates cant get this level of drip

[@MalcolmPL]

Imagine the swag factor of someone with heavily beaded clothes.

[@blaf55]

@@MalcolmPL what does the crest mean ?

[@MalcolmPL]

You’re going to have to clarify, I don’t quite follow you.

[@blaf55]

@@MalcolmPL on the money belt , there is a symbol of like a spear with wings what does it mean

[@MalcolmPL]

That is the Hiawatha belt. It’s the symbol of the Six Nations confederacy. Each square is a village. Left is Seneca and Cayuga, the central “spear” is the great tree of peace and the Onondaga, right is the Oneida and finally Mohawk, the keepers of the eastern door. The belt represents a promise of mutual support between the six nations. Wampum belts were used like documents to seal agreements and treaties.

[@ChattanoogaDave]

Can you do a tutorial on making moccacins?

[@MalcolmPL]

Alright, I'll add that to the list.

[@Zane-It]

Thank you for the information I always like to learn about diffrent kinds of currency. I wonder what other currencys where traded during this time.

[@MalcolmPL]

I'm afraid money isn't something I really understand all that well.

[@Zane-It]

@@MalcolmPL Trying to surf through the title wave of statistics and seemingly random information that is the economy isn't as easy as it seems.

[@MalcolmPL]

@@Zane-It You're telling me.

[@miketacos9034]

Wow… I had no idea their value was that high!

[@terrynewsome6698]

So bead maker could make as much money as a general practice physician.

[@MalcolmPL]

Relatively speaking.

[@trikepilot101]

I don't imagine there was a pre-contact equivalent to a hand cranked wheel with mechanical advantage. That might reduce the "beads per hour" estimate.

[@MalcolmPL]

Precontact no, just a block of sandstone. I've tried it and it's a little slower and a lot more wearying.

[@altereggo3498]

@MalcolmPL Is that 15 minute time frame per bead pre contact flint drill too or colonial only? How long would it take a highly skilled pre-contact artisan per bead theoretically?

[@MalcolmPL]

Metal drill bits, bow drill. I don’t know how much slower stone bits would be. I don’t have enough experience with stone tools to guess. One additional factor besides cutting efficiency would be the lower durability of stone, when a metal bit blunts you can get it functional with a few seconds on the whetstone. Stone bits would just have to be replaced.

[@RuneChaosMarine]

i want to know more about the clams used, what part of the shell, and how to find shell thick enough for tube beads.

[@MalcolmPL]

The clams are called quahog. They're from the east coast. The edge of the shell is purple while the inside is white. Thick shells come from old clams, they grow additional layers as they age, sort of like tree rings. The purple also increases and darkens as they age.

[@RuneChaosMarine]

@@MalcolmPL collecting fragments on the beach with my mother. i am curious what part of the lips is thick enough for tube beads. i am excited to try and create somthing with these.

[@RuneChaosMarine]

@@MalcolmPL i have recently found some videos though i am curious what mineral the clam uses to create the purple. and how.

[@MalcolmPL]

You need an unusually thick shell for tube beads. Most shells I've worked with were only suitable for disk beads. I don't know what makes them purple, I'm not a marine biologist.