Money Cowrie Seashells or Cyprae Moneta are a common crafting and jewelry shell. This is the well known Money Cowrie which was used for currency in some parts of Africa, Asia and Oceania before coinage was in common usage. It is still used in divination rituals by some African animist tribes. It is an extremely common shell in its tropical range. It is in a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod. The shell is small and is white to straw-colored with a gold-colored ring around the dorsal area.