Manillas, as both currency and trade goods, played a significant role in the economies of West Africa and the Caribbean during the period of European colonization and the transatlantic slave trade. In Africa they served as a long-standing form of currency, but their role in the slave trade marked their historical significance. In the Caribbean they were linked to systems of trade that supported the brutal exploitation of African labor, but now they remain an important artifact, reflecting both the rich trade networks of pre-colonial Africa and the tragic saga of slavery.















































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