Shipwreck Sale: African Trade Beads, Gorgeous Smooth & Turquoise Color

This is an outstanding strand of African trade beads. I have a half dozen very different strands of beads scattered throughout the sale. For those not familiar with trade beads typically referenced as "African Trade Beads" there can be confusion as to what you are seeing.

These are NOT beads made in Africa, but of European origin, most often Austrian glass and ceramics or other materials. The most expensive and well known are the most colorful where each bead is very intricate. It's not unusual to see these beads, some as small as a pea and others like a piece of penne pasta, selling today for hundreds of dollars--for a single bead.

Those offered here were brought to Africa 200± years ago by white explorers (say exploiters!) and traded or gifted to African people. They were highly valued by the recipients and more than anything they were a goodwill and/or bribe to allow Europeans to come in and mine and other things often yielding huge sums of money. It might be better to call them million-dollar beads.

These shiny beads demonstrate quality manufacturing at the time; they're virtually identical in size, shape and finish. If you see African-made beads (look for the large yellow painted beads made in Africa listed later in this sale) you quickly will see that none are identical.

These trade beads are not unlike beads traded in the Americas. 220 years ago Lewis and Clark and their party were armed with a variety of beads to trade with locals, for furs for clothing or merely as goodwill gestures as they passed through Native American territory. They also took "Indian Peace Medals" struck by the U.S. mint and given to elders, chiefs and those of tribal importance. Coin/medal collectors probably know these quite well. They are in the marketplace and not difficult to find; it's usually just a matter of price and that can get especially in an auction bidding war.

NOTE: I have an envelope with loose white Lewis & Clark beads exactly like the ones documented to have been used. It was a strand that broke and I decided it was a bit cumbersome to photograph 100 rolling white beads. But I want to let you know that if you have interest, they are absolutely for sale, as are additional strands. As I have noted in many listings, I didn't want to make this a 300-item sale instead of what it is by including say 10-12 strands of trade beads, a dozen Civil War ink bottles and so on. It is difficult to say "5 available" because almost everything in this sale is uniquely one of a kind. Where possible multiples are available (and they're easy to select when paying) I have included this information. Also, if you want "an item like so and so" I may well have a near-duplicate. this is true of beads, bottles, coins, meteorites and just about everything listed. You no doubt see my excitement in my descriptions....even just saying I've got more!