Your point is well taken.

I considered that these might be modern copies of morfia beads too, or even muracad beads (that themselves copy morfia).

However, please consider this. The beads we now popularly call "morfia," are not restricted to Mauritania (where they can be very costly). They also come out of Mali—and they can be transported from Egypt (where they were originally made) to West Africa by direct transport (as now happens more and more often, because of itinerant bead merchants from West Africa, who now spend considerable time in the Middle East).

The makings of these recycled beads do not have to come from Mauritania. Further, they are most likely fragments of beads, that would have less value than whole beads—regardless of their source.

Jamey