Indian Antiquary Vol 26

SR No.: 032518
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 317

DECEMBER, 1897.] CURRENCY AND COINAGE AMONG THE BURMESE.
c. 1850. 2,000 to 1: Yule, Ava, p. 346: "Previously to the last war, it (lead) was not allowed to be exported, and the price then was five tikals per hundred viss, a price little more than sufficient to pay the carriage from the mines."
c. 1852.500 to 1: Phayre, Int. Num. Or. Vol. III, Pt. I. p. 38:"Lead in reference to silver may be commonly estimated in the proportion of 500 to 1."13
311
c. 1855.1,650 to 1: Yule, Ava, p. 259:"The price when we were at Amarapoora, was 100 viss of lead for six and a half tikals of the best silver." Again, at p. 346: "The price now (1855) is eight tikals." It is to be noted that this last statement yields a ratio of
1,250 to 1.
The above quotations point to impossible variations in exchange value, and are explicable only upon the supposition that the various writers referred to silver of greatly changeable quality, and this is the fact. They are all careful to state "the best silver," "ywetni silver," and so on, while Sangermano expressly states that the quality of the silver entered into the calculation, for the full quotation from him should run as follows, p. 167: "The inferior money of Amarapura and Rangoon is lead. Its value is not by any means fixed, but varies according to its abundance or scarcity. Sometines a ticale of silver with a portion of alloy is equal to 200 ticali of lead, sometimes to 1,000 or or even more." Yule, however, with his usual perspicacity gets to the bottom of the question, and shews us that the old trouble of royal monopolies had something to say to valuations, and in this case the action of these monopolies accounts for the violent fluctuations above quoted. Thus, he says (Ava, p. 346): "The price now (1855) is eight tikals, for lead to be used in the capital and neighbourhood (1,250 to 1), but, if required for exportation, it can only be purchased from the King who has monopolised the trade and at the rate of 20 tikals Yuwetni silver (500 to 1)."
That very observant writer Malcom, however, as usual settles the point. Vol. II. p. 70, he writes: "Small payments are made in lead. Each vendor in the bazaar has a basket full of this lead. Its general reference to silver is about 500 to 1. It varies exceedingly, however, in its proportion. Sometimes 15 viss of lead is given for a tical (500 to 1), and sometimes only seven or eight at Ava (700 and 800 to 1). In distant parts of the country, where the silver is most alloyed, three or four viss are given for a tical (300 and 400 to 1)."
Tin, in various forms, has been used for currency in Southern Burma for centuries, and as to its ratio to silver there are two interesting statements.
c. 1530.480 to 1: "In trading they (of Malacca) use tin as their currency. Three caties of this metal are about equal to one mace of silver." -Groenveldt's Researches into Chinese Geographical Literature, in Indo-China, 2nd Series, Vol. I. p. 246.
c. 1820. 100 to 1: "The metal was at that period selling in the bazaar at 109 ticals of silver for 100 viss of tin." Tremenheere's Second Report on the Tin of Mergui, in IndoChina, 1st Series, Vol. I. p. 265.
Of ancient, or supposed ancient, ratios between gold and silver and silver and lead, there is an indication in Sangermano's book (p. 221), where he gives some extracts from the "Damasat," i. e., the Burmese version of the Dharmasastra: "A rupee of gold is equal to twenty-five of silver; and a rupee of silver to fifty of lead."
11.
Additional Notes on Barter.
The subject of barter is naturally one that could fill many volumes, and notes on it regarding Burma and the Far East could be added to what has been already written in this Chapter to an indefinite extent. The temptation to add as one reads further and further
15 Here again Phayre seems to have followed Crawfurd verbatim.