How were panos used in regional trade during the 16th century?

In the 16th century, panos served as a standard currency for regional trade in the area of present-day Guinea-Bissau. These unique textiles were woven on narrow looms, typically constructed by stitching together six strips of slave-grown cotton that had been dyed with indigo and orchil.1

The production of these textiles was facilitated by the plantation economy established on the Cape Verde Islands, where enslaved people were forced to cultivate cotton and various dyes. This trade system was heavily influenced by lançados—freelance Cape Verdean traders who operated independently of the Portuguese crown and acted as key intermediaries in the exchange of goods and enslaved people across the region.1