coin sword; amulet

Coin sword constructed from a central iron rod with a number of cast brass coins threaded onto it to form the hilt, some coins on the upper hilt are missing. Sword guard and blade are made up from rows of coins threaded through with alternating yellow and red string. Floral ornament made from coins with individual coins suspended from it. The purpose of a coin sword is to drive away evil spirits. The coin swords were believed most powerful when all coins had the same inscription.

A coin sword was often found hanging on the wall or above the bed to drive away evil spirits.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
1992.298
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
coin bundle: 86 mm; overall: 644 g; overall: 13 mm x 93 mm x 492 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
brass; plant fibre; iron
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

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