African Manilla Currency Bracelet, Southern Nigeria (Niger Delta), circa 19th century.

Cast in copper alloy using traditional investment techniques, this manilla functioned as both a unit of currency and a visible marker of wealth and status within West African trade networks. Circulating widely along the Niger Delta’s riverine systems, objects of this type formed the backbone of exchange, ceremony, and social obligation in the pre-colonial and early colonial period.

This example forms part of the Egon Guenther family collection, assembled over decades of focused collecting of African art and material culture, and preserved with its original surface and patination intact.

Today, manillas such as this are recognised not only as historic currencies, but as enduring cultural artefacts that reflect the sophistication and complexity of African economic systems.

Dimensions
External width 72.68 mm
Internal width51.32 mm
External height 68.89 mm
Internal Height 43.51 mm
Weight 78 grams