What was the first means of payment?

Earlier, people paid with 'natural money', i.e., with valuables, useful or beautiful things such as stone, shells, rings, animals skins, pieces of iron, or salt. In Africa and South Asia, cowries were a recognized means of payment-and these are used even today in some islands of the Pacific to make a payment. Natural money was easy to store, count, and transport. That is why, silver and bronze were used in the form of bars and wires and in North Africa, payment was often made with salt.