Even after the Spanish Invaded Peru, the alpaca was considered legal tender by its original native population.
Alpacas were perhaps the world's first and best domestic animals, perhaps the "cattle" as the say of South America.

Although efforts have been made to raise the animals on a commercial scale, most of the alpaca are owned, herded, and sheared by Native Peruvians who do not have a marketing agenda. In the United States, alpaca are being domesticated as exotic livestock and live well even at sea level.