Gefragte Felle. Biber als Transaktionswährung in der Kolonie New Netherland (1609-1664)

Longing for Fur. Beaver as a Transaction Currency in the Colony New Netherland (1609–1664) This paper considers beaver fur traded by the Dutch in the 17th century as a global object and transaction currency. The analysis of the fur’s material texture helps to understand how beaver fur could be traded across continental, national, colonial and cultural borders. Beaver fur differed from other Early Modern global objects like cotton, silk, chocolate or porcelain because the skins were used as commodities, resource, dress and currency alike. Beaver furs became global objects because the animal and its habits were known globally even though beaver fur was not globally available in the same quantity and quality. Yet beaver furs were valuable to all participants in the market: native hunters, middlemen, traders, company soldiers and hatters were involved in a global trade fueled by scarcity and longing for fur in Europe.