A smooth, glossy shell from a marine snail, often used historically as money or decoration.
From Hindi 'kauri' via Sanskrit roots. The word traveled from Indian Ocean trade routes into English through commerce, as cowrie shells were literally currency in African and Asian trade for centuries.
Cowrie shells are one of the most historically important 'currencies' ever—for thousands of years they were used as money across Africa, Asia, and the Indian Ocean, and their smooth, perfect shape and scarcity made them more reliable than early metal coins!
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