When I first heard about the concept of “stone money” I was just young child that was seeing it for the first time…in a cartoon. Growing up I would go back and think of that cartoon and think how ridiculous something like that is, and that it really does belong in a cartoon. Surely nobody in the modern world would use stones as money. I can easily see it being used in the prehistoric era, but not now. What use would there be? How would it work? There’s so many alternatives that can be used, there could just be a barter system.

All these questions and more were answered when I researched the island Yap, and their stone money or “Rai”. In this little German owned nation, the island people use carved and polished slabs of limestone as their currency. The greater the shine and bigger the stone slab, the more value it has. I must say, that I do actually like that concept. It is kind of reminiscent of our system in a way. The harder you work, and more time you put into your work, the more money you can possibly make.

Honestly, I like what the people of Yap have going on with their economy. It seems more laid back. As if money really doesn’t matter. All that matters is the work that you put in. It makes me think of our reliance on money. We look at money as if it’s the end all be all. If you don’t have it you don’t matter in society. It’s a really cruel kind of effect money holds on us. Here are these island people that make their own money. Some even help others make their stone slabs. It just shows that they value work more than they do the stone slabs.

It is actually kind humorous too. So many other countries, as well as our own country. Seem to run into issues with our economy and money. Often times these countries need help by being bailed out, or in Japan’s case spending trillions of yen to boost their economy, or how Brazil needed to make fake money in order avoid inflation. It just shows their necessity on money. But then you have Yap with their stone money living without a care. We look at the system and find it ridiculous, but here we are worrying about pieces of paper. We can’t even trust their value because one day it can just become completely worthless. Some new form of currency can take over and our current monetary notes won’t even be worth the time and work to be printed. Money is a fragile thing, and for us to always rely on it is risky.