From early 1400' until well past the middle of the 19th. century,
tin ingots in a variety of shapes and sizes were used as money on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula
(Shaw & Kassim, 1971).

THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

Click map for bigger version at my Obsolete Tin Currency blog.

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.)

LIST OF KNOWN FORMS OF ANIMAL CURRENCY / ANIMAL MONEY


Tortoise - Kura Kura
(Listed) [RRR]
Crocodile - Buaya (Listed) [RRR]
Lizard - Cicak (Known to exist) [RRRR]
Snake - Ular (Known to exist) [RRRR]
Frog - Katak (Known to exist) [RRRR]

Elephant (Listed) [RRR]
Goat - Kambing (Listed) [RRRR]
Rabbit - Arnab (?)

Cockerel - Ayam
(Listed) [RRR]
Bird - Burung (Various types) (Listed) [RRR]

Grasshopper
- Belalang (Listed) [RRRR]
Other Insects - Serangga (Several types) (Known to exist) [RRRR]

Fish - Ikan (Various types) (Listed) [RRR]
Sea Horse - Kuda Laut (Known to exist) [RRRR]
Crab - Ketam (Known to exist) [RRRR]
Lobster - Udang Kara
(Known to exist) [RRRR]
Sea Shell - Siput (Known to exist) [RRR]

Dragon - Naga (Known to exist) [RRRR]
Sea-Serpent - Naga laut (Known to exist) [RRRR]

Note:
Listed = in the Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400 - 1967
Known to exist = in author's collection and/or known to exist by author
? = Known item in bad condition to determine with certainty
Rarity is based on author's grading.
DEGREE OF SCARCITY

S - Scarce

R - Rare
RR - Very Rare
RRR - Extremely Rare
RRRR - Highest state of rarity
UNIQUE - Only one piece known to exist


Saturday, June 5, 2010

IN "HAT' AND ANIMAL MONEY BY WILLIAM SHAW AND MOHD. KASSIM ALI


The book Tin 'Hat' and Animal Money by Shaw and Kasim published in 1970 by Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a useful reference on the subject. This 17-page book, excluding 9 pages of exhibition plates focuses more on Tin 'Hat' (Pagodas and Pyramids) money but provides a brief but good background information on the development of animal money.

Five out of nine exhibition plates included in the book presented items of animal money (animal currency) in the collection of Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Many of these items were subsequently included by Saran Singh in The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei - 1400 - 1967 that was first published in 1986.

The book touches on the tin mining activities carried on in the Malay Peninsula and how superstition govern the operation, the working of a Malay mine belonged rather to the province of magic than of mechanics (Winstedt 1909, pp. 28). The minting of tin ingots in the shapes of animal and insects is a fascinating development of the tin currency that is least understood. The book suggested two hypothesis with regards to the purpose of the tin animal and insect ingots. First, for magical ceremonies (possibly connected with tin mining activities) and second, used as weights (to check correctness of the standard tin ingots). Shaw and Kassim referred to Klinkert's Malay-Dutch Dictionary (p. 129) where Boewaja (Buaya) the crocodile was the name of a tin money in Selangor that had the value of 20 duit (doits) as evidence that tin animals indeed passed as a currency in the past.

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