Bundle of Spears, Gabon
date: label: date made
content: n.d.
notes: label: Description
content: Various West African communities produced metal currency in the shapes of spears and other weapons for specific kinds of exchange, such as ceremonial payments for marriages (bridewealth). They were made from a range of metals including iron, copper, brass, and bronze. While they were typically not designed for use, they could be melted down and transformed into weapons, tools, or ornaments.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place used
content: Gabon
label: associated place
content: Gabon
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: Mendel Peterson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.70.80.18
label: catalog number
content: 70.80.18
label: accession number
content: 288726
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Iron Spears, Miniature
label: Object Name
content: alternative currency
label: Other Terms
content: Iron Spears, Miniature; Africa; French West, Gabon Tribe
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: formed by hand (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: black/brown (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 cm x 10 cm; 3 5/32 in x 3 15/16 in