"Iron Spiral Currency – Banda People, Central African Republic"
Composed of two flat spiral discs connected by a curved axis, this wrought iron coin is a traditional Banda currency. Its name often refers to its evocative shape: "snake money" or "spiral bracelet", according to local interpretations.
It was used in high-value exchanges: dowry, compensation, alliances...
Much more than an economic tool, it was also a marker of wealth, an object of prestige and sometimes placed in ritual contexts. Its fine hammering and regular pattern testify to the excellence of the Banda blacksmiths, masters of iron and guarantors of ancestral knowledge.
Good state of preservation
Late 19th, early 20th centuries
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