Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Counted out in bundles. That is how the Kissi settled their larger obligations.

This twisted iron rod, from Sierra Leone and made in the 20th century, belongs to that tradition of marriage payments and other significant exchanges. It measures ten and a quarter inches and bows gently along its length. The shaft is tightly twisted, with a few warm, coppery glints in the spiral. At one end, a rough, rounded paddle with a pitted surface. At the other, a small T-shaped crossbar that flicks upward. Mottled dark brown overall.

One alone has character. A bundle would have a budget.