The Strangest Things People Used as Money (Before Cash Existed)

Shell Beads (Denisovans)

In prehistoric times, some early human ancestors—possibly Denisovans—used drilled seashell beads as symbolic or transactional items. Found in cave sites, these beads predate any coin or paper money and are believed to be among the earliest forms of exchange items.

Though they may have had more ritualistic or social value than strict economic function, the idea remains the same: rarity, craftsmanship, and social consensus gave these simple beads worth. Even 40,000 years ago, humans were already assigning value to the beautiful and rare.

Advertisements