Early 20th Century West African Kissi Pennies in Stand

Details

Description

Nine individual Kissi Pennies in wood display stand.
Kissy pennies were in circulation until the mid-20th Century. The base was … Read more Nine individual Kissi Pennies in wood display stand.
Kissy pennies were in circulation until the mid-20th Century. The base was likely made in the 1970's, and the pennies themselves produced much earlier.

From the Museum of American History:
Kissi pennies are made from iron and take their name from the Kissi people of modern-day Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. It is believed that the shape was intended to display the quality of the iron. The shape shows that the iron can be twisted, hammered, sharpened into a blade, and fashioned into points. Kissi pennies were primarily used in West Africa in the first half of the twentieth century. They could be exchanged for coins and notes circulating in the region. Individual Kissi pennies could be used to make small purchases, but were typically arranged in bundles of 20 for larger payments. In the early twentieth century, a cow could be purchased for 30-40 bundles. See less