COCKEREL PERCHED ON RINGS

This item is the second item of cockerel perched on 2 rings in my collection (the first being the one I am using as my block image avatar and picture link to my Ring Currency blog). The cockerel of this item has strong resemblance of the iconic item in the collection of Bank Negara Malaysia. Looking at the broken mark at the bottom of the lower ring, the item is likely to be an item with more than 2 rings in its original condition.

Tin Ring Currency - Cockerel Perched on Rings

Items from my collection such as this will be posted in my blogs in the future...

DISCOVERY - HOARD OF MALAY STATES COINS FOUND AT TANJUNG PINANG, RIAU ISLAND, INDONESIA (PART 2)

Here are the images presented by Kassim in his article. The condition of the images are not so good due to poor source condition. These items do not come with details such as size and weight.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 1 - 3 - Main trunks from the Terengganu coin tree.

A coin tree cast in the shape of a sun ray using the "lost wax" method.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 1 - 3, described as - Perak/Selangor "cockerel" animal Currency.


A 17th. century Kedah cockerel coin with two rings.

Four items of Ring Currency described as - Kedah one cent 'cockerel' animal currency.

Note that the items were described as "animal currency" despite the fact that they do not have any any animal feature in their designs.

An elephant described as - Perak/Selangor 'elephant' animal currency.
It looks like there is a stringing hole at the back of the elephant, such a feature on elephants is extremely rare. Except for the above item, I do not know of any other elephant with a stringing hole.


Chinese cash tin coin with branch.

A strange looking item described as - Currency in the form of a goat.
(Poor image due to poor source condition)

DISCOVERY - HOARD OF MALAY STATES COINS FOUND AT TANJUNG PINANG, RIAU ISLAND, INDONESIA (PART 1)

Old coins and relics are known to have been found over the years in the Malay Peninsula (Malaysia) and Malay Archipelago (in this case Indonesia and southern Thailand) but not many involve discovery of a large quantity of items and not many are reported or made known to general public. Perhaps one of the most known discovery was the one at Tanjung Pinang around middle of 1980's.

Mohd. Kassim in his article in Saga Pertubuhan Numismatik Malaysia, 21 Anniversary 1968 - 1989, published in 1990 by Malaysia Numismatik Society shared his experience in having a first look at the items from the famous discovery that he described as a "numismatist's dream come true".

The findings according to Kassim fills a significant gap in the numismatic history of the Malay Peninsula. A new light was shed on how earlier coins were cast by the "lost wax" method, how coins were produced and how the technology developed.

The items found include:

• cockerel perched on ring (that Kassim attributed to 17th. century Kedah)
• varieties of animal currencies - roosters, fish, goats (sheep) and tortoises (that Kassim mentioned was used in Selangor and Perak)
• tampangs
  
• tin coins used in Palembang, Djambi and Kedah
• moulds of making "VOC" copper currency

According to Kassim many of the items found ready market in Singapore. Perhaps certain items were acquired by Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia such as the above item in block image but most items are "lost" or tucked away in private collections. Approximately 25 years after their discoveries the fate of these fascinating items are not known.

Images of some of the items found at Tanjung Pinang, Riau, Indonesia will be included in a future post soon.