Igbo Bochie or Twisted Manilla Currency

A knot at the top, a coil all around, and nothing in it for the tax collector.

This bochie, a twisted form of manilla currency, comes from the Igbo of central Nigeria, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is made of copper. The band is heavy and coiled, with deep spiral ridges, and the ends cross in a bulky knot at one side. Lightly pitted, it wears a greenish crust over copper-red, thicker in the valleys of the twist.

About 5 by 6 inches. Short, dense and squat, a paperweight with an economic history.