Australian Museum Journal The Tavau, or coil feather currency of Santa Cruz Island, Santa Cruz group
- Shortform:
- Etheridge, 1902, Rec. Aust. Mus. 4(7): 289–291
- Author(s):
- Etheridge, R.
- Year published:
- 1902
- Title:
- The Tavau, or coil feather currency of Santa Cruz Island, Santa Cruz group
- Serial title:
- Records of the Australian Museum
- Volume:
- 4
- Issue:
- 7
- Start page:
- 289
- End page:
- 291
- DOI:
- 10.3853/j.0067-1975.4.1902.1104
- Language:
- English
- Plates:
- plate xliv
- Date published:
- 25 August 1902
- Cover date:
- 25 August 1902
- ISSN:
- 0067-1975
- CODEN:
- RAUMAJ
- Publisher:
- The Australian Museum
- Place published:
- Sydney, Australia
- Digitized:
- 13 November 2008
- Available online:
- 05 March 2009
- Reference number:
- 1104
- EndNote package:
- EndNote file
- Title page:
- Title page (75kb PDF)
- Complete work:
- Complete work (914kb PDF)
Abstract
"The basis of money is at times a shell, a bead, a robe, a skin," says Mr. O.T. Mason, but, adds Dr. G.B. Tylor, "in this roughest kind of barter we do not yet find that clear notion of a unit of value which is the great step in trading." An account of the currency used by the native races of the South Pacific has yet to be written, and when investigated a very fascinating study it will prove to be. A perusal of the curious and interesting list of objects given by Dr. T. de Lacouperie as "Shapes of Currency from Barter to Money," used throughout the world, will impress this fact on the reader. In a review of Dr. Lacouperie's list Dr. J.D.E. Schmeltz adds some further important facts, including the "feather money" of Santa Cruz.