The use of beads as a form of currency originated in the 16th century, when the Venetian Empire spread its trading links to West Africa. At the time there was no standard form of value, as trade was generally enacted by barter.
The Venetians introduced beads made in Murano, Italy, that attempted to equate to a set system of value according to their varied sizes, patterns and colours.
The system worked well, and soon the beads were adopted as a standard form of exchange, enabling goods to be bought and sold at fixed, agreed prices. Thus gold was priced at so many beads, cocoa at so many, cloth at so many, etc. The standard measure for a string of beads was the length of a man’s arm.
Africans soon started to produce their own beads, thereby adding to the scale of available currency. Again, beads had a set value according to their type, and each bead type had a specific name.
The system of Trade Beads eventually came to an end after the 2nd World War, when West African countries achieved independence from colonial rule, and required coins and notes, in order to join the western countries in having the amenities of a modern state.
Today the beads still maintain their value, as collectors, jewellers and bead shops seek the variety and colour that are the hallmark of Trade Beads. It is not unusual for older beads to fetch a hundred dollars each if they are in good condition.
