Bronze Manilla Slave Money Bracelet used in West Africa 1500's to 1800's

Price

Price: US$ 20.00	€ 17.12
	£ 14.89
	AUD 30.81
	CHF 15.85
	CAD 28.07

Ships from:
Rates for: 10/19/2025
SKU: R107

Description

Reign
Denomination	Manilla Bracelet
Date Struck	1500's to 1800's
Mint
Obverse
Reverse
Weight	125 grams
Diameter	83 x 73 mm
Reference
Grade
Comments	The name manilla is said to derive from the Spanish^[1] for a 'bracelet' manilla, the Portuguese for 'hand-ring' manilha,^[3] or after the Latin manus (hand) or from monilia, plural of 'monile (necklace).^[4] They are usually horseshoe-shaped, with terminations that face each other and are roughly lozenge-shaped. The earliest use of manillas was in West Africa. As a means of exchange they originated in Calabar. Calabar was the chief city of the ancient southeast Nigerian coastal kingdom of that name. It was here in 1505 that a slave could be bought for 8–10 manillas, and an elephant’s tooth for one copper manilla.

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