《Meet the Chinese Characters》E19
cowry
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, shells were the currency used in people's transactions. At that time, they were called "huo shells".In oracle bone inscriptions, most words related to wealth and value are composed of the characters “贝”.China has a long history of currency. As the Shang and Zhou Dynasty civilizations in the Central Plains, it was reasonable to use seashells donated by coastal states as currency.
