Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Everyday money, over a wide region, was a twisted rod of iron.

Kissi pennies were the daily currency across Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, commonly bundled to pay for goods, livestock or marriage. This one was made by Kissi smiths in Sierra Leone and used in the 20th century. About nine and a half inches long, it has a slender shaft with a clearly visible twist, swelling slightly near the center. At one end is a narrow, flattened crossbar; at the other, a rounded, lobed paddle with a pitted face.

The iron is grayish-brown, dry and aged.

Hand-forged, and happy to look it.