Final answer:
The Asante Empire's unique characteristics compared to Dahomey included their symbolic use of gold in the Golden Stool and their exceptional talking drum communication system, as well as a constitutional form of governance with an assembly.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two unique characteristics of the Asante Empire that were not shared by the Dahomey include the use of gold symbolically, particularly in the form of the Golden Stool which represented the unity of the Asante Confederacy, and the renowned talking drums used for quick communication across the empire. Contrary to this, Dahomey, or the Fon ruling dynasty, exhibited a tightly centralized state with a royal monopoly on trade, particularly with Europeans, ensuring that the king maintained absolute power and profits from trade were kept within the state. The Asante also had a form of government that included a constitution and an assembly, practices that were not reported in the structure of Dahomey's governance.