ENGLISH SLAVE BRACELET C.1700-1820

By the end of the 18th century, colonization in North and South America as well as the Caribbean had created an almost unquenchable demand for slaves. Raw resources exceeded the ability to process them into marketable goods and every slave represented a healthy return on his owners investment. In Africa, cast bracelets served as currency among slavers, at that time, each representing the value of a slave. Europeans quickly embraced the concept and produced their own. The following are original slave bracelets as dated, recovered from wrecked ships engaged in the slave trade. We have a few of each type. All are hand made and vary slightly in detail. 2 3/4" width. Uniform stable green patina from shipwreck recovery.