Africa de Vest - regiunea Nigeria. Attractive ancient West African, old copper manilla (159 gr) (1600-1800) (Fără preț de rezervă)

On the African coast lies the birthplace of this beautiful and rare bronze manilla (bracelets). Originally made of copper or brass, later sometimes also of iron or other metal alloys, they became the main means of payment from the Gold Coast deep into the Niger for a long time.

As the name suggests, the name 'Manilla' comes from Portuguese. The word is a portmanteau of the Portuguese words mao (hand) and anilho (ring), together manilha.

The Portuguese have been sailing the African west coast since the early 15th century. The natives fished up (bent and twisted) copper bolts from ships that had been wrecked on the coast. They considered it valuable and demanded more of it from the Portuguese and other merchants than the smooth copper that had been brought in earlier.

It is not known whether rings (of any metal) were used in Africa shortly before the Portuguese era. However, their resemblance to prehistoric (Bronze Age) rings, which may have been used as money (medium of exchange) in many places on Earth, is astonishing.

Shortly after the Portuguese discovered the need for copper in Africa, they began exporting large quantities of copper, in manilla form and as raw copper plates, to Africa. This copper was mined all over Europe. For example, Hungarian copper from Neusohl (now in Slovakia) was shipped via the Elbe and the North Sea to Portugal and from there to Africa.

Actual dimensions:
diameter outer: 68.5x60.1 mm, diameter inner: 53.5x42.5 mm,
thickness: 17.8 mm,
weigth: 159 gram.

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