Nigerian Bronze Crescent Currency

Before banks, there was weight. Metal you could lift, and trust.

Heavy rings and crescents like this one circulated in West Africa as a store of value and a medium of exchange, used in trade, bridewealth and other important transactions. This crescent was cast in Nigeria in the 17th or 18th century, in bronze and copper.

A little over eight inches across: a thick, rounded bar bent into an open curve, ending in two flat, slightly swollen terminals. The patina is a mottled brown, darker and lighter by turns, and a fine crack crosses the top of the arc.

Simple, heavy, and honest about its purpose.