KATUN (TIN CASH) COINS OF JOHOR - CLASSIFICATION BY FRED PRIDMORE

The Katun (tin cash) was a common currency of Johor used over an extended period of three centuries from 16th century to the 18th century. However, I believe the period of usage for the Katun coins could have possibly started earlier than the 16th. century. This is based on unique tin katun coins in my collection that can be related to other issues of early tin currency items.

There are many varieties of the Katun coins and they can be generally categorized by the shape; circular, hexagonal and octagonal. Major Fred Pridmore in his article The Native Coinages of the Malay Peninsula - The Malaccan Group - Johor in Numismatic Circulars LXXVII, part 2 - 5 published by Spink and Sons Ltd. London in 1969 separated the Katun coins into a few categories.

Group A - Bar Type

Class I - Inscribed with legend or part of a legend on obverse and reverse

Class II - A large raised dot or pusat (a Malay word) in the centre of the raised bar. Some show traces of a legend but others appear to be uninscribed.

Group B - Round or Irregular Shapes

Class III - A remarkably uniform group both in size and style. The principal series is usually clearly stamped with th title MALIK AL-'ADIL, but some show portions of other inscriptions.

Group C - Hexagonal Shape

Class IV - Inscription on obverse and reverse

Class V - Pusat or centrally raised dot.

Group D - Octagonal Shape

Class VI - Large coins inscribed on obverse and reverse.

Class VII - Large coins, uninscribed with a pusat.

Class VII - Coins inscribed with MALIK AL-'ADIL.

In the following posts we will look at the details of each of the Class of the Katun coins as categorized by Pridmore.

DISCOVERY - SUNGAI PEMANDI, KAMPUNG MAKAM, KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR

Over the past few decades, isolated discoveries of coins, relics, ceramics and earthenware are known to have taken place in the vicinity of Kampung Makam and along the riverbanks of Sungai Pemandi. In 1987, the discovery of silver coins there made news in the national newspaper. The excavation for the construction of a bridge at Kampung Makam led to the discovery of various coins. This attracted the locals to search for coins in the piles of sand and clay unearthed during construction of the bridge.

According to news, the coins found there were from the era of Sultan Abdil Jalil. The villagers also reported earlier discoveries of gold coins (dinar) and octagonal tin coins (katun) around the area. It is not widely known but many Animal Currency items including other tin objects, ceramics and earthenware were found at Sungai Pemandi.

A pair of tin dragon, 1 complete with stand found at Sungai Pemandi.
(Photo is from the Photo Collection of Nasron Jamil taken circa 1987).

Berita Harian 30 June 1987
Headline - Currency of the Malacca government found at Kota Tinggi.
Note - The coins in the photo are in fact not from Malacca...

Berita Harian 23 July 1987