did native americans use coins?

thats my questions.

 

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not that im aware of. i think they were still bartering when completely kicked off their land.

 

Only after "white men" showed up. Until then, besides furs and such:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampum

 

Beaver pelts, wampum and Lucky Strikes.

 

The tribes in my area used cured fish and salt as currency until well into the 19th century. Salt was valued over gold when the Spanish arrived, so they made out nicely...for a while.
Guy

 

Probably after Europeans introduced the concept to them.

 

Depends on what yoy mean by native americans. If only referring to those in the current us, then no. However, mayans and aztecs were using protomoney in the form of copper hoes and axes. It was documented by the Spanish.

 

I still have that website link you sent me a while back Chris, have it bookmarked. I'm probably going to pick up my first copper hoe this summer.

 

Most proto-currencies in the America functioned in fact as trade objects or wealth storage objects, and not as true currency. Even in the few cases were a "coinage" did evolve, it was primarily used by or with white men.

MEXICO, Aztec culture. Circa AD 1200/1300-1525
Æ “Hachuela” (143mm x 150mm, 55.70 g)
Mushroom-shaped bronze pseudo-axe-head with curved “blade” and flanged shank
Hosler, Lechtman, & Holm, Axe-monies and their Relatives, type 2a




UNITED STATES, Native proto-currency. Seneca tribe.
Ganounata village (Honeoye Falls, NY). Circa AD 1625-1687
White wampum beads (apx. 5mm, 0.10g each)
Carved white shell beads with lateral hole for suspension in belt
Cf. William Martin Beauchamp, Wampum and Shell Articles Used by the New York Indians, p. 369


Found at the Dann Farm site in Honeoye Falls, NY.


In 1687 combined French and Huron forces, lead by the Marquis de Denonville, set out to undermine the strength of the Iriquois Confederacy. The main strike was made against Seneca villages in Western New York. Ganounata was burned during the campaign. This episode was only one in a long line of conflicts fought over control of the North American fur trade.


Wampum was used by Native Americans in woven belts of white and black beads. The white beads were crafted from the columella of the Channeled Whelk, the black from the quahog. Traditionally, wampum belts were used as a ceremonial object to initiate a trade contract. It was only with the coming of the Europeans that wampum began to function as coinage. In 1673, New York state officially set the value of wampum at six white beads to the Dutch stuiver, or three black until they fell out of use.



UNITED STATES, Native proto-currency. Northern Pacific coast. 18th-early 19th century
Shell “kop-kop” (29mm by 6mm, 0.38 g)
Tubular shell of the dentalium genus of mollusks
Robert Stearns, Ethno-conchology: A Study of Primitive Money p. 314-321


Ex Detroit Museum of Art


Kop-kops were smaller or damaged pieces of hi-qua shells and circulated as a fraction of the hi-qua. Use of this shell type as currency ranged from northern California to Alaska.
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They actually did use trade tokens, that being after the Europeans arrived. They did have gold but it was too soft to make tools out of so it was basicly worthless to them.

 

Can you provide a citation and perhaps an image of one of the tokens?

 

Yeah, I've got one from the Shoshone Tribe. I'll dig it out, then take and post some pics later.

 

They were given these after they were moved to Reservations because they no longer had access to traditional trade items (Wampum).

 

I really think these are more of a commemorative coin than anything else. They're obviously very modern - late 20th century at the earliest.

 

Everything I have found out about these leads me to believe they were actually trade tokens. Keep in mind, the Indians were still being rounded up in the first 2 decades of the 1900's, And are still on these reservations today. The Reservations are basicly independant Country's with their own set of laws.

I met a guy that actually had dug one of these coins/tokens up on his farm in the late 40's or early 50's. It was pretty clean so it had not been there too long. He did some looking into them and that was his story. I Question the fact that there is no monitary value stamped into the design, but back in the barter days they had things figures out pretty darn good.

I have seen a few on ebay as well and they were listed as trade tokens.

But I am always up for a better education on this subject, so if anyone has any more info it would be appreciated!

 

Just chiming in to say that those tokens can't be from before 1909, when the copyright symbol was introduced as part of the Copyright Act.

 

Doesn't the "© FM" suggest Franklin Mint? I could be wrong, but ... in any case, I also believe they are relatively recent, and were not used as means of payment.

Christian

 

You are absolutely correct. I noticed this too, but decided to eat lunch before posting.

 

it seems hoe money was exclusively aztec.

is there any evidence the maya or any other group in the region produced it as well?

 

There were similar copper objects produced by the Incas, but there is no firm evidence that they were monetary at all. I encourage you to check out the book I cite in my description of the hachuela.