Tuareg Brass Bracelet Currency, Based

A horseshoe of brass ending in two faceted knobs, each one cut like a gemstone.

This bracelet currency is Tuareg, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is brass and is shown on a stand. Across West Africa, heavy metal bracelets often doubled as stored wealth and a medium of exchange, worn when convenient and traded when needed. The thick, curved shank tapers slightly toward the center, and each end swells into a many-sided block incised with small lines. Its golden surface is softly worn. The mounted piece is 15.25 inches high; the bracelet itself is 4.5 wide and 3.75 high.

Money that could be worn to dinner and spent the next day.