Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 42
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
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________________
APBIL, 1913.)
THE OBSOLETE MALAY TIN QURRENCY
121
VI. EXPLANATION OF PLATES.
Plate I.
Ex. coll. W. W. Skeat. Fig. 1. "Hat " money, apparently the bidor, quarter dollar. It is of a different mint from that of tiga. 9, 8 and 4. The inscriptions are Chinese and P Arabic.
Figs. 2, 3 and 4. “Hat" money in three sizes, made so as to fit into each, and holed for carrying on a string (tali). They represent respectively the quarter, twelfth and twentieth of a dollar: see ante, p. 88. They came from the same mint as my own specimens (ante, p. 90, n. 84), which are dated 1864 and 1829. They all bear legends in Malay on the inner rims. Fig. 3 is dated A. H. 1265 = A.D. 1849.
Fig. 5. A gambar buaya; "crocodile” tin ingot: length about a foot, representing probably buaya penengah, mid buaya or jampal, ball dollar, in the tin currency (ante, 96 n. 49). • Figs. 6 and 7. Gambar ayam; "cook" tin ingots, pierced for stringing together and representing the tali and penjuru of the tin currency, the eighth and sixteenth of dollar fante, p. 94.)
Plate II.
Ex. coll. G. M. Laidlaw. This plate represents a collection of tin ingot currency made by Mr. G. M. Laidlaw in 1904 ja Lower Perak, of wbich he took two photographs. There are four more figures in Fig. 2 than in Fig. 1: all crocodiles" (gambar buaya). The figures correspond thus :Crocodiles. Cocks.
Elephants. Fig. 1. 1 Fig. 2. 2 Fig. 1. 2 Fig. 2. 21 Fig. 1. 6 Fig. 2. 5
15
20 13
18 Four crocodiles in Fig. 2, No. 14, 15, 16, 22, have no corresponding forms in Fig. 1.
There are in addition to the gambar currency, two specimens of the "pagoda "ingot: no. 4 in fig. 1, and under the "crocodile," no. 4 in fig. 2. In fig. 2, no. 3, is an independent specimen of "pagoda" ingot.
The plate seems to show that there must have been more donominations of gambar currency than those of which we have definite information at present.
Fig. 1, no. 3, corresponds with Fig. 2, no. 6. Mr. Laidlaw, in his letter of 14th June 1904 says that this is a jongkong, or firstling of the smelting house, to which a superstitious value was attached that caused these first fruits to be bequeathed as heirlooms. As currency they corresponded with the tampang of 22 oz. or 10 cents. See infra, Appx, I., No, V.63
• Normally they were of most anoortain size and weight, as they were also cast from the superAuous tin left over after onating the hoping or slabe.
