Manilla, West Africa, 19th Century
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
notes: label: Description
content: Manillas were regularly used in exchange in West Africa, especially along the coast of modern-day Nigeria, from at least the fifteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Cast from various metals, including copper, brass, and iron, they are crescent-shaped and resemble an open bracelet. They were produced by Portuguese, British, Dutch, and French merchants specifically for trade in West Africa. Manillas were used in everyday purchases at markets. They were also a central currency of the transatlantic slave trade.
label: Location
content: Currently on loan
place: label: place used
content: Nigeria
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: West African Currency
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Chase Manhattan Bank
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.79.112.OC137
label: accession number
content: 1979.1263
label: catalog number
content: 79.112.OC137
objectType: label: Object Name
content: alternative currency
label: Other Terms
content: nontraditional money; Africa; West Coast of Africa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brown/gold (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: cast (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 cm x 6 cm x 1.8 cm; 2 3/8 in x 2 3/8 in x 23/32 in