Kissi Iron Penny Currency

The Kissi penny is one of the most recognizable iron currencies in West Africa.

This 20th-century example from Sierra Leone shows the type well. The long, slim rods were made by local smiths and used for exchange and bridewealth across the Kissi homeland and beyond. This one measures just over eleven inches, its shaft worked with a loose, irregular twist. At one end a narrow T-shaped crossbar flares out; at the other a rough, encrusted knob gives the bar a satisfying weight.

The surface is a deep brown with lighter flecks where the iron has weathered.

Long handling, quietly recorded.