Description
Katanga People.
Also called Baluba Cross it was made by pouring copper into sand moulds. To give an indication of their commercial value: 3 pieces would buy a goat; 3-5 pieces would buy a male slave and 5-10 a female slave.
In Africa traditional currency evolved in quite a different way to conventional money. In fact, rather than money, we are discussing objects with a more or less stable value, recognized and accepted in the area in which they were used. Before the arrival of the European bank notes, metal objects were used as the most stable method of payment. This was due to the ease of preservation and kept its value despite the phenomenon of inflation. The value of these objects remained intact in most areas up until the 1950’s.
