Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Currency does not have to fit a pocket. It only has to be accepted.

The Kissi of Sierra Leone accepted this one. Nine and three-quarter inches of iron, forged in the 20th century, used as money for generations, in markets and in bridewealth. The slim shaft twists in places and swells to a small knot near the middle. A narrow T-shaped crossbar flares at one end. At the other the iron spreads into a flat, lobed paddle. Dark, smoky gray, with traces of brown.

Stand it on a stand. Or in a shadow box, if it prefers privacy.