Trading valuables to foreigners in south-east New Guinea in the nineteenth century: The case of Conus armshells

Abstract

This chapter examines why and how 170 valuable Conus armshells collected from two areas of Papua New Guinea during the nineteenth century were traded to foreigners. The different histories of European contact on the eastern Papuan South Coast and the Massim region, particularly with respect to the introduction of iron in the former area and services in the latter, had a major impact on the acquisition of these artefacts into museum collections. Armshells remain important valuables for the people of south-east New Guinea. To recognise this continued significance, Papua New Guinea gave a regional armshell name to one of its currency denominations.