Fulani Currency

Nigerian currency crafted by the Fulani tribe. Outlawed in the 19th century by Colonel Phelps. The unusual forms and sizes of ethnographic currencies are both fascinating and surprising. They range in size from the smallest personal adornments such as beads, shells, and jewelry to massive iron forms weighing as much as 100 pounds. These "Primitive" monies were both aesthetic and functional, and were used to buy everyday items as food, cloth, and tools as well as major life transactions: the purchase of land, livestock, and brides. These objects served as a means of exchange as well as symbols of wealth and power. Check out our African weapons for additional currency pieces.