What is the giant stone coin?

What is the giant stone coin?

Rai
The Yap islands group is part of Micronesia and has a very peculiar currency: stone. Stone money known as “Rai” are large stone disks, sometimes measuring up to 4 meters, with a hole in the middle that was used for carrying them. It was and still is used as a trading currency there.

How much is a RAI Stone?

Most examples of Rai stones are considered rare and sacred amongst the predominant Yap people. The largest Rai stones exceed 12 feet in diameter, weighing as much as two tons each….Yap Rai Stone – Rare Museum Piece.

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What is the currency of Micronesia?

United States DollarFederated States of Micronesia / CurrencyThe United States dollar is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it into 100 cents, and authorized the minting of coins denominated in dollars and cents. Wikipedia

What is a Yap stone?

A rai stone (Yapese: raay), or fei stone, is one of many large artifacts that were manufactured and treasured by the native inhabitants of the Yap islands in Micronesia. They are also known as Yapese stone money or similar names.

What country uses rocks for money?

Micronesian island of Yap
The Micronesian island of Yap has a famously unusual currency: hundreds of giant discs of rocks scattered all over the island, many of them too heavy to move. Arriving on the tiny Micronesian island of Yap will fill even the most jaded traveller with a sense of awe.

What stone was so valuable 4000 years ago that it was traded far from the quarry?

Because the site was underwater and undisturbed, researchers systematically and scientifically recovered the obsidian, a form of volcanic glass that was used and traded widely throughout much of human history as a prized material for making sharp tools.

Which island has its own currency?

The Solomon Islands are an island chain in the Pacific Ocean. They declared independence from Britain in 1978. After using the British pound and the Australian dollar, they adopted their own currency in 1977.

What is the minimum wage in Micronesia?

The Federated States of Micronesia’s minimum wage is US$2.65 per hour for employment with the national government. All states have a minimum hourly wage for government workers: $2.00 in Pohnpei,$1.25 in Chuuk,$1.42 in Kosrae,and $1.60 in Yap; and $1.75 for private sector workers in Pohnpei.

How do people make money in Micronesia?

The economic activity of the Federated States of Micronesia consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate.

What is Yap famous for?

Yap is known for its stone money, known as Rai, or Fei: large doughnut-shaped, carved disks of (usually) calcite, up to 4 m (12 ft) in diameter (most are much smaller). The smallest can be as little as 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in diameter.

Who first used gold for money?

King Croesus of Lydia
Gold coins were first struck on the order of King Croesus of Lydia (an area that is now part of Turkey), around 550 BC. They circulated as currency in many countries before the introduction of paper money.

What are the different coin sizes by country?

Links To Coin Size Guides by Country Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Britain / UK Canada China Euro Fiji France Germany Israel Mexico Russia South Africa United States Coin Guide for United States Coins Coin Diameter Ring Type Air-Tite Direct Fit Air-Tite Coin Type 13mm 13mm n/a Gold $1 (Type 1) 14mm 14mm n/a Silver Three Cent

What are the different sizes of South African coins?

1 oz Palladium Russian Ballerina South African Coin Sizes Coin Diameter Coin Type 16mm 1/10 oz. Gold Krugerrand 19mm 1 Rand 22mm 1/4 oz. Gold Krugerrand, 2 Rand

What are the different sizes of Fiji coins?

24.25mm x 2.38mm Fifty Cent 25.75mm x 2.20mm Two Euro 29mm Ten Euro (Hercules) Fiji Coin Sizes Coin Diameter Coin Type 32.5mm Fiji Taku 1/2 oz Silver 40.5mm Fiji Taku 1 oz Silver 64mm

What is the size of a $1 coin?

Gold $1 (Type 1) 14mm 14mm n/a Silver Three Cent 15mm 15mm n/a Half Dimes 1829 ~ 1873, Commemorative Gold $1, Gold $1 (1854 ~ 1889 Type 2 & 3) 16mm 16mm