Igbo Coiled Manilla Currency

Shorter, stockier, and quietly green. Money that learned to sit still.

This coiled manilla of copper was made by Igbo artisans of Central Nigeria, West Africa, in the 20th century. Manillas were used as a medium of exchange in the region and are often associated with wealth and exchange. The thick copper wire winds in about a dozen broad turns, ending in a tapered, chisel-like foot at one side and a rounded knob at the other. The metal has aged to a soft sage and gray-green, dusted with reddish areas of oxidation.

About 11 inches long. Lay it flat on a shelf and it reads as a very old paperweight.