Heavy Bronze Slave Manilla Okpoho bracelet Money Currency West Africa 19th c Exc

Description

Slave Trade Currency
Bronze Bracelet West AfricaMoney
19th century
For years I have owned a small collection of antiquities and  "odd and curious" - so called "Primitive Money" and related ethnographic items - and the time has come to sell those collections.  As I photograph them, I will be listing them all here.
You are bidding on
a
solid bronze hinged "Manilla" or slave bracelet. also called Okpoho money. Bracelets of this size and weight were high denomination slave barter artifacts and were used for that purpose during the infamous Slave Trade Era.  It is my understanding that a Manila of this size was generally valued as a direct trade for one slave.
Outer dimensions 4.5", and inner dimensions 3" and height c. 1" and it is hinged with 2 pierced holes to keep the whole intact but it is missing the closing pins and because I cannot pull it apart I am wondering if this was ever intended to be worn.  This is a very thick, heavy piece in  excellent condition given the age, weighing 31.47 oz (almost 2 lbs!) with an incised or engraved design (see photos) on one side.  It's in excellent condition and a fine example of the type.
Informational details about the collection: My father was a well-known numismatist, who had professional interest in ancient coins as well as personal interest in antiquities and unusual currency.  He was the primary source for many of my acquisitions, in addition to auctions and other dealers.  I began my collecting in this field in the 1950s when I was a teenager, and while I haven't added to it in over 25 years, I've enjoyed displaying these pieces for years.  Now it's time for the next "steward" - who can care for these objects with the same affection
Because many of these objects are relatively rare, handmade, and at this point pretty much unique -  descriptions can vary by source, and pricing can be difficult.  I therefore rely here on identifications and sales of similar/comparable items where I can find them: online and public auctions, catalogs, books.
Where possible I will provide provenance and cite the sources I've used for identifying the objects
.  If you find errors, or think my descriptions aren't correct, please let me know.  I've been a dedicated collector but I'm not an expert.
Antiquities, pre-Columbian and ethnographic/tribal items, are self-explanatory labels. So-called "Primitive" or "Odd & Curious" money refers to the historical use of
"tokens of exchange" that do not take the form of conventional coins and paper money.  While "primitive" money may preceed the use of coins
(the first coins were made of electrum, a combo of silver and gold, approx 800 BC) the use does not imply that the people using it were primitive - simply that in lieu of standardized coinage (state controlled, uniform, portable etc) most of the world's cultures depended on variety of objects for barter and trade - and this persisted well into the 19th - 20th century. Historically, many of these objects had real life, practical purposes and utilitarian/functional value - such as tools, weapons and even foodstuffs that had long shelf life (tea, cocoa beans etc), or were fashioned to be worn, like bride price jewelry, from metals that had practical value if needed (copper, iron, bronze) Frequently these items also were chosen for their perceived aesthetic value/rarity/beauty, such as feathers for headdresses, bones, shells, beads, rare stones, etc. As a result, many originally utilitarian items evolved into iconic, fixed, ceremonial forms...that resembled their original form but were not functional, e.g."key" money that resembled a key, or "hoe" money that looked like a hoe)
Shipping by USPS insured or Fedex ground or air to all US locations (no APO addresses, I regret), I will choose based on the object's fragility, size and weight.  If you prefer faster service, contact me for add'l costs.
Note for overseas bidders: I am using eBay's global mailing program for this collectio
n or international mail
.
Payment is by Paypal, and due within 3 days of auction close; if you can't meet that time frame you must communicate with me or a non-payment claim will be filed automatically.  Items here are from my personal collection, guaranteed to be authentic, and are not re-sales.
Anything else you need to know, just ask!
And thanks for bidding!
On Feb-11-21 at 00:43:26 PST, seller added the following information:
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