Washington Covenant Belt - bead belt made from shells, likely Mercenaria mercenaria, (Species Name: Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Name: Hard Clam, Quahog, Cherrystone. Synonymy: Venus mercenaria) perhaps from Long Island, (I recall after the American Revolution, George Washington was the guest of the Spanish Ambassador in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a number of months, according to a sign on a house ca. 1978) once the source of shell beads for wampum to string for wearing which became a medium of exchange. Many different currencies from many nations were used in the early settlements until a standard was created.