Indian bead money is a type of currency used by Native American tribes in the Northeastern United States. It consists of strings of beads made from shells, which were used to purchase goods and services. The most common forms of Indian bead money are WAMPUM, sewans, and wampumpeag. WAMPUM is a type of shell bead made from the quahog clam, which was used as a form of currency by the Algonquian-speaking peoples of the Northeastern United States. Sewans are a type of shell bead made from the whelk, which was used as a form of currency by the Iroquois. Wampumpeag is a type of shell bead made from both the quahog clam and the whelk, which was used as a form of currency by the Wampanoag people.