Igbo Coiled Manilla Currency

Copper wound a dozen times around itself. In southeastern Nigeria and the wider Niger Delta, rings and spirals of copper and brass circulated as currency, and were also held as a visible store of wealth.

This coiled manilla is Igbo, made in the 20th century. A thick copper rod forms a tight spiral of about a dozen turns, just over seven inches long, each coil finely ribbed along its length. The ends finish in rounded, slightly flattened terminals. The whole surface has developed a soft green patina with earthy brown and mauve undertones, quiet and mineral.

A spring that once was money. Nobody has said it needs to pay out.