Kissi Iron Penny Currency

On the slimmer side. Eight and three quarter inches, and no worse for it.

This Kissi penny was forged in Sierra Leone in the 20th century. Iron rods of this form circulated widely as money in the region, used in markets and in marriage payments. One end bears a small angled crossbar. The other ends in a flat rounded paddle. The shaft is finely twisted and gently uneven. A dusky gray-brown patina, lighter on the high points of the twist, gives it a subtle shimmer.

Slender things keep their secrets. This one keeps a faint glint.