Noun
Beads made of shells, used by the North American Indians as money, and also wrought into belts, etc., as an ornament.
Source: Webster's dictionaryMost indigenous forms of money (wampum, shells, tally sticks and such) and the modern fiat money are only a "symbolic" storage of value and not a real storage of value like commodity money. Source: Internet
Thus, beaver fur and wampum were used as money in the north for exchanges with the Indians, and fish and corn also served as money. Source: Internet