Large Metal Rings (Manillas)
In West Africa, metal rings called manillas were used as a form of currency during the height of the slave trade. Made of bronze or copper, these horseshoe-shaped items were both decorative and monetary, used to buy goods, pay bride prices, and sadly, trade in human lives.
Manillas were often worn as jewelry, which meant your wealth could literally be on your arms. European traders mass-produced them for use in Africa, and different regions valued specific sizes and styles. Today, manillas are collector’s items, but their dark legacy echoes in the economic histories they shaped.
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements