Indian Antiquary Vol 42

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 108

104
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[APRIL 1913.
Remembering that this is the report of a French traveller on Malayan currency as understood in India in the 17th century, one finds in it a clear reforonco to the old Dutch scalo of 400 cash to the dollar.99
A transition stage between the two scales of 400 and 1000 cash to the dollar respectively. perhaps due to surrounding influences, appears to be found in the following facts reported from the Kinta Valley (ante, p. 96), West Coast, and Patani town on the East Coast. The Kinta Valley scale shows 800 cash to the dollar. Now, in Patani Mr. Skent tells me that " cash' were cast in trees" (pokok pitis), and that those with the Raja's stamp on the top were most valued as genuine. Such trees were valued at a kondari, 39 cents, or 32 to the dollar (ante, p. 101). Each cash on the tree was valued at cent or 800 cash to the dollar. This works out to 25 ash per tree.
On Plate VII, will be found a reproduction from the Cambridge Museum of a half pokok pitis or cash tree, consisting of 13 cash without the Raja's stamp. The cash bear date A. H. 1314= A. D. 1896.
5. The alternative term for "cash " in many parts is still pese, Portuguese, Spanisli, Italian, etc., for "weight," and used for the low unit of monetary weight, varying in the East from about 1000 to about 1600 to the dollar ; by standard 1000.89 From information gathered by Mr. Skeat and other European observers, a table can be made out showing the effect of European commerce and influence on the monetary currency scales of the Peninsula. The evidence for the West Coast currency system is as follows:
(1). Mr. Skeat's notes for Kedah and Setul, North of Kedah, show 40 cash to the kunder:no and 32 kon löri to the dollar = 1280 cash to the dollar.1 And Loyan, Jonurn. Ind. Archipelago, 1851, p. 58, says the same thing: “The native coin is the tra, a small round piece of tin with a hole in the centre, of which 160 make a tali, and 8 tals are worth avlodlar"=1280 cash to the dollar. (2). Mr. Laidlaw's information provides the following scales :
Perak. Telok Anson. Lower Perak.
K'inta Valley. 62 duit make 1 penjuru 10 duit make 1 pitigos 10 duit make 1 pitis
ayam
ayam 2 penjuru 1 pink03 10 pitis , 1 gambar 5 pitis 1 gambar
ayam
Syar 2 piak
suku 4 gambar 1 suku 4 gambar, 1 snku ayam
ayam
ayam
. Other inforеnoen from this valuable statement by Tavernier will be found in the appropriate places.
► Pererris, of which 1000 to 1200 went to the milrei or dollar unit. Hence the use of the term for "cash." The actual value of the mitrei was always uncertain.
* Reckoned na 4 tra (onab) to the drit, 10 duit to the kënləri, Millies Recherches sur les Monnia Malaies. D. 130, quotes Beaulieu, Relation de Voyages, 1666, II. 38, who says 32 fra makon dollar, thus transferring the erpression tra from "cash" to the kenderi.
This makes the karudari of this soale half s på njuru or 3 cente dollar. Usually the kondriopohujumu 6+ cente. dollar. Mr. Skeat quotes Denys, Descriptive Dict. of British Malaya, 1894, v. tali, who has 160 trael talic1280 orab to the dollar.
"A coio, "oash with the cook," called also köping and dy. 93 Or tali.
Ordinarily pitia means oash, 400 to the dollar: here it is 160 to the dotlar. Tin ingot in the form of a book : the small "cook" ingot. 1 pinjuru, 16 to the dollar