Roland R. writes: I have a “Gizzie Penny” from West Africa, apparently used in the late 1800’s. It is a foot long piece of twisted iron with a “T” at one end and a flat US quarter size other end. I got it a couple of decades ago, but know little about it. Any help?Â
Africa is well know for its use of primitive money. West Africa is a large piece of Real Estate and includes Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Nigeria and Gambia. I haven’t heard of a “Gizzie Penny” but from as early as the 15th century there were numerous types of metal bars used as money in this area.
For example the Portuguese introduced Manilla, a copper horse-shoe shaped bracelet, about 3 oz in weight, about the time that Columbus was exploring the New World. They became a medium of exchange for all kinds of local products such as pepper, ivory tusks, palm oil and cotton cloth.
There is a broad collector market for “Odd and Curious” money so your item would find a fairly ready market. You need to identify the item as to date, specific origin, and state of preservation in order to be able to sell it.
