Micronesian villagers traded five-ton stone discs without ever moving them from their spots
The residents of Yap Island maintained a stable economy using five-ton limestone discs that remained stationary for generations, with ownership transferring through oral history rather than physical exchange.
Yapese villagers managed a complex financial system using Rai stones, some reaching 12 feet in diameter, without ever moving the currency from its physical location. Because the sheer weight of these limestone discs made transport impractical, the community relied on a shared oral ledger to track ownership. When a stone was traded, the transaction was announced to the village, and the value transferred through communal consensus.
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