Kissi Pennies

A collection of 11 kissi pennies. Kissi (or kisi) penny is a term given to a form of indigenous African currency, used in the interior of Sierra Leone in the 19th century. A Kissi penny consists of a rough strip or rod of iron, about a foot in length, which is t-shaped at one end, and flattened at the other. The original Sierra Leone National Museum accession register records that these were called Ko-goli in Mende and that 10 such bars were the value of an able slave in the 19th century. Ko was the name of the blacksmith skilled at making the bars of standard weight and length. Ko-goli means Ko's iron bar .

Further Information

  • Type: Currency
  • Object: Kissi Pennies
  • Materials: Metal
  • Culture Group: Kisi
  • Dimensions: Unknown
  • Production Date: 19th century
  • Associated Places: Unknown
  • Associated People: Unknown
  • Museum: Sierra Leone National Museum
  • Accession Number: SLNM.1957.22.13

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