JSCE English Language 2022 Objective — Question 6

There were different kinds of currencies. Cowries, brass, iron and copper objects were commonly used. Three varieties of currencies were however, widespread. The first was cloth currency. The use of cotton stripes was reported in Borno. The second was metal currency. Copper and iron rods were used in different parts of Nigeria. Manillas, Currencies made of brass and copper, were widely used in Niger Delta. The third variety of currency was cowrie shells. The use of cowries had a long antecedent and it probably spread at different times, from one area to another until it became popular throughout the country. The cowrie had a number of advantages. It made exchange possible over a wide territory since it was used in many places. Its small size made it easy to carry, though it was bulky for large transactions. The cowrie served as an effective measure of value and a unit of account which made it convenient to know the value of one form of goods in relation to another and to fix prices to all kinds of products. Finally, the cowrie could not be forged. (Culled from 'History of Nigeria' by T. Falola et al, page 145) Dumb trade involves ____

• A. the use of drums to trade
• B. lack of spoken language in tradingCorrect
• C. the use of dumb people to sell things
• D. the use of three varieties of currencies