Item number: A178

Year: ND

Material: Salt

Size: 26.0 x 7.5 x 4.7 cm

Weight: 1.51534 kg

Provenance: Teutoburger Münzauktion GmbH 2023

This item represents a salt bar from Africa, bound with leaves and utilized as a form of currency in trade.

Across the globe, currencies manifest in diverse forms, with African salt bar representing a unique and profoundly significant means of exchange. The utilization of salt as currency traces back to the 6th centuries, holding a prominent position in the trading history of Africa.

Salt has been historically regarded as a vital commodity for humanity, serving not only as a seasoning but also as an essential preservative for food. In Africa, particularly in regions like Ethiopia, salt has been extensively utilized as a form of currency. In the Ethiopian context, these salt blocks, bound with leaves, were employed as a means of payment in trade and were referred to as “Amole.” The profound reliance of the Ethiopian people on Amole is evident; it was not only utilized in daily transactions but also integrated into the nation’s taxation and penalty systems.

In the early 20th centuries, the Ethiopian government imposed substantial salt levies as part of their taxation system, reflecting the pivotal role of salt in the local economy. This salt might have been extracted from salt pans or mines and subsequently transported over long distances via trade routes. Along these routes, salt served as a medium of exchange for acquiring other valuable commodities such as gold, ivory, slaves, and agricultural produce.

However, the properties of salt also led to variations in its value across different regions and periods. Due to its susceptibility to moisture and fragility, the transportation of salt was not facile, thereby impacting its market value. For instance, near salt mines, one thaler coin could be exchanged for 120 Amole salt bars, whereas in areas closer to the capital city, one might only obtain 5 Amole salt bars.

The existence of salt bar currency not only serves as a testimony to Africa’s trading history but also embodies the local culture and societal structure. As a representation of salt, it encapsulates the unique understanding of life and trade held by African people, playing a crucial role in the economic and trading landscape of Africa.

物件編號: A178

年代: ND

材料: 鹽

尺寸: 26.0 x 7.5 x 4.7 cm

重量: 1.51534 kg

來源: 條頓堡錢幣拍賣 2023

此物件為非洲的鹽塊，以葉子捆著鹽巴作為貿易的貨幣。 

在世界各地，貨幣的形式多種多樣，而非洲的鹽巴貨幣代表著一種獨特而具有深遠意義的支付手段，這種以鹽作為貨幣的貿易可追溯至公元6世紀，在非洲的貿易史上佔據著重要位置。 

鹽在人類歷史上一直被視為重要的物資，不僅是調味品，更是食物保存的必需品。在非洲，尤其是在衣索比亞等地區，鹽被廣泛用作貨幣。在衣索比亞地區，這些鹽塊以葉子捆綁，在貿易中被作為支付手段使用，並被稱作「Amole」。衣索比亞人民對Amole的依賴程度之深可見一斑，它不僅被用於日常交易，甚至被納入了國家的稅收和罰款制度。 

衣索比亞政府在公元20世紀初徵收大量的鹽作為稅收，這反映了鹽在當地經濟中的重要地位。這些鹽可能是從鹽田或鹽礦中開採出來的，然後通過貿易路線進行長距離運輸。沿著這些路線，鹽可以用來交換其他珍貴的商品，如黃金、象牙、奴隸和農產品等。 

然而，鹽的特性也導致了其價值在不同地區和時期有所差異。由於易受潮和脆弱，鹽的運輸並不容易，這使鹽在市場上的價值受到影響。例如，在鹽礦附近，用一塔勒銀幣可以換取120個Amole鹽塊，而在靠近城市首都的地區，可能只能兌換到5個Amole鹽塊。  

鹽塊貨幣的存在不僅是非洲貿易歷史的見證，更是對當地文化和社會結構的體現。作為鹽的代表，它承載了非洲人民對於生活和貿易的獨特理解，並在非洲的經濟和貿易中發揮著至關重要的作用。