The Quahog clam so commonly found on the coast of Long Island and along the northeastern seaboard was incredibly prolific in the 17th century and was a major food source. The beautiful purple and white in these clam shells was used by the Native Americans in Long Island to create wampum, the main trade currency in the northeast for hundreds of years prior to the establishment of New Netherland.
Quahog clams could be harvested in great quantities and shell middens have been found by archeologists. Even today, the Native American artisans of Long Island continue to produce high quality wampum for reproduction wampum belts and jewelry.
Learn more here: https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/magic-of-wampum-new-acquisition
Quahog clam and wampum at Seneca Iroquois National Museum, public domain via wikimedia commons