Sale 213 Lot 215

Liberian Kissi iron currency (3 units) Kissi iron currency, commonly known as Kissi pennies (or kilindi), is a traditional form of West African "natural money" used from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century across present-day Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. These unique pieces consist of hand-forged, thin, twisted iron rods, featuring a flattened spatula-like "foot" (kodo) at one end and a T-shaped "ear" (niling) at the other. Length (longest one): 12 inches
$80-120

PROVENANCE: Present lot was acquired by Bennett Schiff (1920-2014), a member of the U.S. Foreign Service who served as press attaché in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Tehran from 1962 until 1967. He moved to Washington, DC, in 1967 to work as a consultant to the Peace Corps, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Ford Foundation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.