Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Count them out in bundles. That was the system.

Kissi smiths of Sierra Leone made these long, twisted iron rods, which circulated widely around Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, typically counted out for transactions such as bridewealth. This ten-inch penny, used in the 20th century, has a slender shaft, twisted and slightly irregular along its length. One end flares into a flat, T-shaped blade; the other ends in a small, rounded, leaf-like paddle.

The iron is dark, with a rough, hand-forged surface and light rust.

Spare as a note, and carrying a good deal of history.