Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Twisted and hammered by hand, nine and a half inches, loose as a spiral of rope.

This Kissi penny from Sierra Leone was used as currency in the 20th century. Such pennies were among the most widespread forms of money in the forest region where Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia meet, used in bundles to pay for goods, livestock and marriage. The slim shaft twists in a loose spiral, with a few thicker, knotted sections near the middle. At one end is a short, flared T-shaped bar; at the other, a broad, flat paddle with a scalloped, uneven edge.

The iron is a warm, rusty brown.

Organic in form. Honest in finish.