Yap Atoll is known for its unique monuments that are located in different parts of an island - giant coins, installed there many centuries ago, having an interesting history and keeping a lot of mysteries.
You may ask, how coins can be interesting? Why are they considered as a local sight? These huge stone coins with a hole in the center are placed everywhere: on the street, in dense thickets of trees, close to the houses and shops, on the shore. Where did they come from and what do they mean?
The first giant limestone stones appeared on the island of Yap in 500 BC. They were brought from the neighboring island of Palau. That time they were not money yet, it was just new and precious material because it was difficult to mine it. But the islanders of Yap did not have neither gold nor silver, with time they needed to have “modern” money and made that huge stone their first coin.
Then the number of stones was increasing. Someone went for them to the other island on their own, someone bought them giving a lot of cattle or land in return. The stone money was precious, and people spent it only on something important.
On the island, there also was “the bank”. Along the main street, there is a large number of giant stone coins. Every one of them has its owner and is installed there for many centuries.
According to a legend, one not so rich islander decided to transport his coin to the other island to offer it to a wedding of a relative. But the boat did not bear the weight, and a huge stone coin fell in the water. The locals supported the upsetting guy. “What is the difference where is your money?” – said they. “You still have them, and they belong to you”. So, the islander could pay with the coin, even though it was at the bottom of the ocean.
That unusual bank is still open on the island of Yap.