Kissi Iron Penny Currency

A long, loose twist, then a tighter one. The rhythm of a smith with somewhere to be.

Nine and a half inches long, this twisted iron rod is a Kissi penny forged in Sierra Leone in the 20th century. Such rods served as currency in the region well into the last century, changing hands in trade and in bride-wealth payments. One end is hammered into a slim upright crossbar. The other spreads into a wide uneven paddle with lumpy, crusted edges. Dark, silvery brown, with light wear along the ridges.

It has been passed around. You can tell by the polish.