Congolese Iron Currency

Smelting iron took time, fuel and skill. So an iron ring could buy a good deal.

This one was forged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 20th century and used as currency. Across Central Africa, iron objects passed between families in marriage payments and trade. The ring is a heavy, open oval, a little over seven inches wide, its thick, slightly flattened ends nearly meeting at the bottom. The surface is dark and even, with a soft sheen on the upper edge where hands have touched it most, and fine pitting from the forge.

On a simple black stand it reads like a single line drawn in air. The cheapest-looking things sometimes cost the most.