The Slave Trade's Forgotten Currency: Cowrie Shells and Manillas

In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the humble cowrie shell from the Maldives to the coasts of West Africa, where it became the currency that oiled the Atlantic slave trade. They explore how the shell's value was manufactured in the Indian Ocean, shipped in vast quantities by European companies, and how its inflation quietly devalued African economies. The conversation also covers the metal manillas of the Bight of Biafra, the role of the Royal African Company in flooding markets, and the lasting consequences—how these currencies shaped the 'Scramble for Africa' and left economic scars that persist today. Through specific numbers, dates, and the voices of traders like Olaudah Equiano, the hosts reveal a hidden economic engine of human suffering. #cowrieshells #manillas #AtlanticSlaveTrade #AfricanCurrency #EconomicHistory #Maldives #IndianOceanTrade #RoyalAfricanCompany #BightofBiafra #OlaudahEquiano #ScrambleForAfrica #SlaveryEconomics #WestAfrica #GlobalTrade #History #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Colonialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo