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From the preface: Cowri is the most oldest form of money in the Indian Sub continent. It is widely used by the people of Bengal and the regions adjacent to it. It is also used by the people of Sri Lanka, Maldives, the Eastern and Western Coast of India, along the Eastern coast of Africa and Arabia. Cowri is also found to be used in the Americas and South Pacific Islands.

Cowri was people’s currency. When the Kings, Sultans or Nawabs introduced gold, silver or even copper coins, these couldn’t reach common people. The common people couldn’t afford that luxury. They could not earn that much. Coins were exchanged among the affluent people revolved around the ruling class and the business and trading community. So cowri remained as peoples currency for many centuries and thus these terms entered into the culture, language and vocabulary and are used even today. Cowri were is used among the rural people of Bengal even as late as eighteen century, or in remote places even in nineteenth century.

Contents: Foreword. Messages. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Cowri-the dawn of Indian coinage. 3. Ancient coins. 4. Sultani coins. 5. British period. 6. Currencies of Pakistan 1947-1971. 7. Bangladesh. 8. Coin catalogue of Bangladesh. 9. Paper currency catalogue of Bangladesh. Annexures.