mark with ink (overall production method/technique)
Measurements:
overall: 10.5 cm x 13 cm x 2.7 cm; 4 1/8 in x 5 1/8 in x 1 1/16 in
Object Name:
shell money, clam
alternative currency
Other Terms:
Shell Money, Clam; North America; California, Pismo Beach
Place made:
United States: California, Pismo Beach
Date made:
1933
Date on object:
1933-03-08
Description (Brief):
One (1) dollar clam shell, Harter Drug Co.
United States, 1933
Obverse Image: N/A
Obverse Text: GOOD FOR $1 ON DEMAND AT THE HARTER DRUG CO. / 3-8-33 / SCRIP / PISMO BEACH CALIF / SIGN OTHER SIDE / IN GOD WE TRUST / NO. 5
Reverse Image: N/A
Reverse Text: [SIGNATURES]
Description:
Shells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America. Seashells are no longer an official form of money, but they remain an alternative to notes and coins during periods of scarcity. This clam shell briefly functioned as money in Pismo Beach, California, during the Great Depression.
