Mongo King or Queen Manilla Currency

A heavy horseshoe of copper, freckled green and red with age.

This king or queen manilla currency is Mongo, from Central Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th C. It is copper. Manillas were horseshoe-shaped metal rings widely used as currency in West and Central Africa, and the larger examples are often called king or queen manillas. This one is a thick, rounded arc that ends in two flared, flattened terminals. Its surface is pitted and crusted with green verdigris over patches of warm reddish copper. It is 9.25 inches wide and 6.5 high.

Money with real weight to it.