This was a new line of business: for, in the earlier days of the colony, the current coinage consisted of gold and silver money of England, Portugal, and Spain.

These coins being scarce, the people were often forced to barter their commodities, instead of selling them.
For instance, if a man wanted to buy a coat, he perhaps exchanged a bear-skin for it.

If he wished for a barrel of molasses, he might purchase it with a pile of pine boards.

Musket-bullets were used instead of farthings.

The Indians had a sort of money, called wampum, which was made of clam-shells; and this strange sort of specie was likewise taken in payment of debts, by the English settlers.