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Ashanti gold weights
| Issuer | Ashanti Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 1700-1900 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 10 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Rectangular cast brass weight with a highly textured field. The principal face displays a series of raised horizontal ridges bordering the upper and lower margins, framing a central geometric design composed of bold diagonal and vertical relief bars arranged in a stylized pattern. The overall composition is characteristic of Akan geometric decorative convention, rendered entirely in low to medium relief with no inscriptions or legends present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
These brass weights were never currency themselves — they were the instruments used to measure gold dust, which functioned as the actual medium of exchange across the Akan-speaking states. Each merchant and trader maintained a personal set, and disputes over weight discrepancies were common enough that the Asantehene's court maintained standardized reference weights against which others could be checked.
The casting method was lost-wax, inherited from earlier trans-Saharan trade contacts reaching back centuries before Ashanti political consolidation in the early 1700s. At 10g, this example falls within the heavier range associated with substantial commercial transactions rather than everyday market use.