贯

Bottom cowrie radical — the indexing radical, pictograph of a cowrie shell. In ancient China cowries were money, so 贝 marks 贯 as a financial unit: a string of cash (one 贯 = 1000 coins on a cord). Anchors it in the money family with 财, 货, 购. From 'threading coins' came the abstract 'run through, be consistent' (一贯, 贯彻).

Top 毌 — a stick threading through a square hole, pictograph of cowries (and later coins) strung on a cord. This is the original graph for 'string of cash'; 贯 added a clarifying 贝 below to specify what was being strung. Supplies meaning directly: piercing, threading, running through.