Indian Antiquary Vol 42

SR No.: 032534
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 165

JUNE, 1913.)
THE OBSOLETE MALAY TIN CURRENCY
157
silver coin worth two pence). It was also a gold-weight = 'mas (mace). Klinkert no doubt refers to the old wang.
27. Perak. Maxwell's boya is no doubt a valgar corruption of buaya (buwaya), i.e., the * crocodile" coin, which is referred to by Klinkert, who says it was a tin coin in Selangor in the shape of a crocodile, and that the value was 20 duits, as formerly issued.
28. Perak. The recess in the design in the tampang or "block".coin is called melumba, which may be connected with lombong, a "paddock" in the workings of local tin mine, so named from its sloping side.
29. Peral and Selangor coinage. In Penang, Kedah, etc., the tampang was called kuparg.
The copper coinage now in use in the Federated Malay States is the cent (100 to the dollar) and half-cent of the Straits coinage. Till recent years, however, copper coins from nearly all the adjacent countries were admitted, but Government has some time since taken the matter in hand, and foreign copper coinage has been largely prohibited ia the Federated States. A small copper Dutch coin called wang is still in use at 2} cents.
The small silver coins of the Straits currency (British) now ased in the Federated States are 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. They are called sling or s'killing (Dutch, skilling), and were preceded by small silver pieces about the size of a Straits balf-cent piece, but thinner. They had a design described as a shield and crown and were evidently Dutch or Javanese. They were sometimes collectively called wang, i.e., change, though this term more properly applied to the copper wany.
For the half-dollar (jampal), the United States coinage was sometimes employed. The dollars in use were as follows: (a) One of the oldest dollars, ased in the Federated States, was the pillar" dollar
called by the Malays the “cannon" dollar, as they mistook the pillars on it for
cannon. I have met with one or two specimens in Selangor. (6) The Mexican dollar with eagle and snake was largely used till quite recently, and
was called the "bird " dollar (ringgit burong): the "snake" "dollar (ringgit
ular): and even the butterfly” dollar (ringgit rama-rama). (c) The "scales " dollar (ringgit nõracha). (d) Chinese and Japanese dollars were also in use. (c) Not long ago the Government has minted a Britisb dollar at Singapore, which has
been called the “Staff " dollar (ringgit tongkat) from the trident carried by
Britannia. 30. Perak-Selangor. A tali was always 12 cents. The expression sa perak (one silverpiece) was also formerly used for 6 cents as money of account, though there may have once been such a coin. 31. Penang and Province Wellesley. Swettenbam, Vocabulary, p. 129.
10 duit (cent) make 1 kupang 12} duit
1 tali 2 tali
, 1 Buku (quarter) 4 suku
. 1 ringgit (dollar) The duit (Dutch) is divided into halves and quarters : saténgah duit and suku duit. Klinkert Woordenboek, says 8. v. tali:-sa-lali = t gulden; "naar het koord met 75 pitis, dat vroeger daarvoor gebruikt werd." Here the pitis = cash of the Chinese variety.
82. Kedah: Ulu Kedah. At Baling I found old Straits coins, copper cents of the East India Company when it administered Penang, still current.
33. Setul: N. of Kedah. I was told at Setul that a species of cash, keping, was formerly current, with a quarter of a Penang or Singapore cent: 4 keping (cash) = 1 Dutch duit (cent).