Manilla
date: label: date made
content: n.d.
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 not on view
place: label: place used
content: Nigeria
label: associated place
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: Randolph V. Zander
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.NU61175
label: catalog number
content: NU61175
label: accession number
content: 228761
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Manilla
label: Object Name
content: alternative currency
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cast (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: brown/gold (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6.02 cm x 5.72 cm x 1.93 cm; 2 3/8 in x 2 1/4 in x 3/4 in