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Large sums were reckoned in 'bags' of cowries: 20,000 cowries made ọkẹ́ kan — one bag — the standard unit for counting indefinitely large numbers in money and trade.
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Straight from the book
“The figure that is made use of for calculating indefinite numbers is 20,000 Egbawa, and in money calculation especially it is termed Oke kan, 7.e., one bag (of cowries). Large numbers to an indefinite amount are so many “‘ bags ”’ or rather “‘ bags ’’ in so many places.”
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