Mbole Copper Anklet Currency

Look closely near the slot and you find tiny scratched lines.

A copper anklet currency made by the Mbole, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, in the 20th century. Across Central Africa, copper rings were commonly kept as wealth and given in marriage transactions. The body is a deep, rounded crescent in a rich coppery brown. A cluster of fine incised marks runs along one edge of the opening, and the whole surface carries a soft hammered grain. The slot is narrow, with one end slightly higher than the other.

About 8 inches by 6. Warm brown, and warmer still in lamplight.