4218

Rare West African Iron Currencies

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:200.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Rare West African Iron Currencies
Lot: 4218
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Title: Rare West African Iron Currencies
Description: In the Ivory Coast, West Africa, irregular iron ingots called somba were made by the Baule Tribe (probably). They are similar to so-called Kissi pennies but much cruder, lacking the twist and points. Very similar iron ingots , but of finer pattern, were also made in the Ivory Coast, but called sompe instead of somba. (Very likely this is the same word, differently pronounced.)

Besides a rare somba, this lot has 10 examples of sompe from a bundle that came apart. See NNP edition, https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/541824?page=521.
Low Estimate: 500
High Estimate: 850
Pedigree Collection: