Gewgaw

In the lands of the Three Shires, shortly after the coming of the Orcish Hordes and the Halfling exodus from their old lands, Coinage briefly ceased to be well accepted by many halflings. Instead, they began to engage in a lot of barter. They also began to trade colorful beads made from plant material that they referred to as gewgaws. As things stabilized, they began accepting coinage more readily, but the legacy of gewgaws remains.

Over time, collecting gewgaws, especially from the original period, has become quite a prestigious process. Factors like the carver, the presence of charms laid on them, whether anyone famous ever possessed them, and the like give value to the colorful little pieces.