Needle money, southern Nigeria

Needle money, southern Nigeria

Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
These tiny arrow-shaped pieces of iron are from southern Nigeria. Little is known about their use in exchange, but they are thought to have had a very low market value similar to a cowrie shell.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
Needle Money
alternative currency
Other Terms
Needle Money; Africa; Southern Nigeria, Awaka Tribe
place used
Nigeria
associated place
Nigeria
Physical Description
iron (overall material)
black/brown (overall color)
hand shaped and formed (overall production method/technique)
Measurements
overall:;
average spatial: 15 mm; x 9/16 in
ID Number
NU.77.38.033
catalog number
77.38.033
accession number
1977.1211
Credit Line
Benjamin Stack, Harvey G. Stack, and Norman Stack
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
West African Currency
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.