THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

Drawn and engraved by John Rapkin (Published by The London Printing & Publishing Company about 1856).

Royalty free map available at Steve Bartrick Antique Prints and Maps.

The use of tin currencies issued by the Malay Peninsula was not restricted to areas in the peninsula but extends to a large area in the Malay Archipelago. Although the term Malay Archipelago is widely used, there is no official definition for this area. The widely accepted definition would include Malaysia (the Malay Peninsula, including southern Thailand that connects the Peninsula to the Asian mainland), Brunei, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and islands in the waters surrounded by these large islands. (Source - Bank Negara Malaysia, 1995. Pameran Matawang Perdagangan Kepulauan Melayu (18 Mei - 14 Jun 1995) Unit Muzium Matawang, Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, p. 9.)


Thursday, May 27, 2010

TIN AND THE MALAY PENINSULA - PART II OF II

The trading of goods in the early days was based on exchange of goods but subsequently as the local currencies of the respective traders became accepted as trading currencies of these trading centers, these currencies became a trading medium. Over time, local currencies were issued by the early governments. Being a region rich in gold and tin, it was only natural that these metals were used for the currency. Tin that was found in abundance in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago advanced from goods to trade for to also being used as a trading medium and currency in the form of ingots (blocks or bars), animal ingots and animal figures and conventional coins.

These ingots that were used in the form of lump (block or bar) ingots initially, later evolved into the forms of animals and even insects. Various types of tin blocks were produced; mound-shaped, cone decorated with serrated edges, conical or cylindrical or cylindrical-shaped, mountain or shrine-shaped and sugar loaf-shaped, pyramid or pagoda-shaped and pyramid-shaped with mangosteen rosette pattern [Source: Bank Negara Malaysia, 2005. Malaysia Numismatic Heritage, Corporate Services Department, Bank Negara Malaysia].

The appearance of animal and insect like ingots is also said to have its roots in the tin mining practices and rituals of the tin miners. Intertwined by its purpose in tin mining activities and use as a currency, the reason(s) for the creation of tin animal ingots became a mystery and will remain as one without more records or evidence of their actual use and purpose. The general theory is that these animal and insect like ingots were first made to serve their magical purpose in tin mining and later somehow became accepted as a trading medium.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA



The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400 - 1967 by Saran Singh (1996) covers the obsolete tin coinages of the Malay Peninsula quite extensively. The coverage includes:-

  • Tin Pitis of Malacca, Perak, Kelantan, Patani-Kelantan, Selangor and Brunei,
  • Chinese tin cash coins of Malacca,
  • Tin coinages of Malacca during the Portuguese rule,
  • Tin Katuns of Johor,
  • Tin Jokoh (Private Monetary Tokens) of Johor, Pahang and Terengganu,
  • Tin Tampangs of Pahang,
  • Tin Keping or Pitis of Terengganu,
  • Tin ingots - mount shaped ingots, conical or cylindrical shaped ingots, mountain shaped ingots - Chandi, sugar-loaf type ingots, pyramid or pagoda type ingots - Bidor and pyramid or Pagoda shaped ingots - solid Tampangs of Perak,
  • Tin animal currency in the shapes of tortoise (kura-kura), elephant (gajah), crocodile (buaya), cockerel (ayam), grasshoppers (belalang), fish (ikan) and goat (kambing) of Perak,
  • Tin Tra of Kedah,
  • Tin cockerels perched on rings of Kedah,
  • Tin coins of Penang and
  • Tin coins and tokens of Brunei.
It is known that there are many tin coinages discovered after the publication of Saran Singh's work in 1986 thus these items are unlisted in the encyclopaedia. This blog will seek to explore the items listed above and the unlisted coinages as and when the opportunity arises.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

TIN INGOTS & ANIMAL MONEY - BASIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This web page by Bank Negara Malaysia, Money Museum provides good basic background information on tin ingots and animal money.

Here you have some information on how early tin ingots became part of trading activities, their origin, extensiveness of use and their exchange value. Information on animal money touches on the centuries long tin mining activities of the old Malay Peninsula, the minting of tin ingots in animal shapes, their possibles uses and the magical aspects of the animal shaped ingots.

It is important to keep in mind that tin ingots in various shapes were used for centuries. Information such as the recorded exchange value of certain tin ingots represent value that holds true only for that particular point in time. With not much recorded information available, the association of the animal shaped ingots with magic spins mystery out of them.

Useful background information on Tin Animal Money and Tin Ingots can also be found at Wikipedia.

Monday, May 24, 2010

TIN AND THE MALAY PENINSULA - PART I OF II

The coasts of the Malay Peninsula used to be part of the sea route that connected East Asia and the Middle East. This route began in the ports of Shantung Peninsula, rounded the coasts of Malaya and India and ended in the Persian Gulf [Source: Shaw, William & Mohd. Kassim Ali 1971, Coins of North Malaya, National Museum, Kuala Lumpur]. Situated mid-way of this sea route, trading ports on the Malay Peninsula became the halfway meeting points between East Asian and Middle Eastern traders. The strategic location of the Malay Peninsula became transformed it into one of the earliest and most famous trading areas in the world.

The trading centers in the Malay Peninsula started as early as the 2nd. century A.D. Its geographical advantage in the trading system of the early days saw the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago as a base for many early governments such as Langkasuka, North East of the Peninsula (100 Century A.D.), Old Kedah Chih-cha, West of the Peninsula (5th. - 14th. Century A.D), Pan Pan, North of the Peninsula / Isthmus Kra, South Thailand (5th. Century A.D.), Srivijaya, Palembang, Sumatera (7th. - 13th. Century A.D.), Chih-tu, North of the Peninsula in the vicinity of the Kelantan river (about 1,000 years ago), Tan-tan, Terengganu, Tun-sun, North of the Peninsula and Singhasari - Majapahit, Java (1222 - 1292 A.D.) [Source: Bank Negara Malaysia, 1995. Pameran Matawang Perdagangan Kepulauan Melayu (18 Mei - 14 Jun 1995) Unit Muzium Matawang, Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur p. 9]

The trading ports and centres in the Malay Peninsula did not only connect East Asia and the Middle East but also the West and far East. That was the extend of the role of the Malay Peninsula as a connecting point for traders. The Malay Peninsula not only offered strategic stopovers for traders also provided abundance of products highly sought after by these traders such as spices, jungle produce and exotic items as well as minerals such as gold and tin.

Gold and tin mining activities in the Malay Peninsula could have started as early as 2nd. century A.D. if the term Golden Chersonese that means the Golden Peninsula that was used by Ptolemy was indeed referring to the Malay Peninsula. Although the gold and tin reserves of the Malay Peninsula attracted the Chinese as early as the 7th. century A.D., the tin mining activities were operated by the Malays until the middle of the 19th. century. Foreign workers were subsequently brought in to cater for additional labor requirement when the industry expanded with increased tin mining activities through discoveries and opening of new mines. Based on records, gold and tin were the major exports of Malacca in 1408 and minor exports of Pahang and Kelantan in the 13th. century A.D.

The tin mining activities operated by the Malays involves various supernatural believes and rituals. The central belief is that tin possessed a spirit and can move from one place to another and that this movement is controlled by the guardian of the spirit, jin tanah or the earth genie. The belief influenced the tin mining activities from the process of locating tin mining areas, opening of the areas and how they were operated. The spirit of the tin must be appeased or the tin will move away from the mining area or calamities will befall mining activities at the mine.

Communications with the spirit and earth genie were done through a medium of Malay pawang or traditional medicine man. Magical rites will be performed to obtain permission to mine and animal sacrifices will be offered in return for abundance of tin and avoidance of calamities at the mining site. Castings of spells were done to protect the miners and the site from disturbance of other supernatural forces. Charms were also used for the well being of the miners and the mines. Although the tin mining activities were taken over by the Chinese from the Malays in the Middle 19th. century, the rituals and supernatural activities remained a practice in the industry.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

INTRODUCTION

When researching the numismatic history of Malaysia, one cannot do away with referring to the Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400-1986 by Saran Singh (1986). It is the key reference for numismatists when it comes to coins and currencies of these countries.


The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400-1986 by Saran Singh.
The book was first published in 1986 and was re-printed in 1996. This book is now a collector's item due to limited number of print.

In the 2nd. Edition (1996) of the encyclopaedia page 260, the author referred the
cockerel perched on rings as Animal Money. For the purpose of this blog (and my forthcoming book entitled The Forgotten Tin Ring Currency of The Malay Peninsula), all items with rings, with or without animal figure will be referred as Ring Currency. This shall include tin cockerel perched on rings presented in the encyclopaedia as item SS20a, SS20b and SS20c in page 260.


Block Image of item SS20a



Block Image of item SS20b



Block Image of item SS20c

Ring Currency with animal figure will also be referred as
Animal Ring Money. The rationale for this is that although there are Ring Currency items with animal figure in their designs, there are also types that come without animal figure. If these items are to be categorized as Animal Currency then this will result in the omission of those without animal figure from the definition. This will lead to a weak and confusing definition to the term Ring Currency as to whether it should include or omit types with animal figure since Animal Ring Currency can be categorized under both Animal Currency as well as Ring Currency.

The term Animal Currency or Animal Money in this blog refers to Animal Money and Animal Currency in general without limiting it to items deemed to originate from the Malay states of Perak and Selangor as listed in the 2nd. Edition of The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400-1986 in page 200 - 205. The listing may indirectly implies that Animal Currency and Animal Money was issued only by Perak and Selangor, that is, assuming that the listing is accurate. It is important that this limiting perception is removed because there are strong evidences to suggest that this currency was also issued and used by other states on the Malay Peninsula.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

WELCOME TO MY WEB LOG

This blog was first created in early 2009. In mid 2009 I retracted my postings and re-posted them in what I think was a better presentation. However, due certain commitments I was unable to develop the blog as intended. I apologize to those who visited the blog earlier for the inactivity of the blog.

Although bogged down by other matters, during this period of blog inactivity I somehow managed to complete the writing of my first book on numismatics entitled The Forgotten Tin Ring Currency of the Malay Peninsula. I am now working on my next book entitled The Mysterious Animal Currency of the Malay Peninsula. The idea of developing this blog concurrently with the writing of the first book sounded like a good idea at the outset but the research and thinking that was going on at that point in time created a conflict between sharing the current findings and final conclusions that would come later hence the decision to defer the postings on the blog.

Although I am currently working on my second book, unlike the first book that required in-depth research, a pictorial concept was adopted for the second book as such it will not give rise to the kind of conflict that arose during the writing of the first book.

With this I look forward to develop my web log with regular postings.

Thank you.