Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 42
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
View full book text
________________
JUNE, 1913.j
THE OBSOLETE MALAY TIN CURRENCY
THE OBSOLETE TIN CURRENCY AND MONEY OF THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
BY SIR R. C. TEMPLE, BART.
Continued from p. 132.
APPENDIX II.
Notes made on the spot by Mr. W. W. Skeat.
I East Coast.
1. Kelantan. 15 pitis or keping=1 kendĕri: 60 pitis or 4 kenderi 1 kupangle 480 pitis 8 kupangs = 1 dollar.
2. Singora. At Singora ( April 21, 1899). I obtained three of the small cowries formerly used here as coins. Phya Sukum, the Siamese Commissioner for the Ligor group of States, told me that the number of them which went to one pitis (cash) varied a good deal according to locality, 20 but in this district he thinks it was 100.
3. Singora and Patalung (shores of the Inland Sea, East Coast ). At Singora (April 16, 1899), the Siamese Governor of Patalung sent me by request 28 of the old cash formerly in use there. They were round coins of tin, or perhaps spelter, with a round hole in the centre, a little larger than the ordinary Singapore cent, and appeared to bear trilingral inscriptions-in Siamese, "Patalung" on one side; in Malay Negeri Singgora " and a Chinese inscription on the other. Some of them were also struck with the letters E. B. L., which the Governor believed to be the chop (Hind. chhap, shop-stamp) of the Chinaman who struck them, and who was, he said, well known in Singapore. Four hundred of these cash, he said, went to the dollar, but they were never current beyond local limits.
4. Patani, East Coast. Chinese gaming counters with Chinese inscription on one side only, but otherwise resembling cash, were obtained from Jala, a province of Patani. No special local cash were obtainable either from Jala, Nawng Chik or Raman provinces, but were so from the provinces of Ligeh, Teluban, Patani and Jering,21 which were perhaps rather more Malayan in custom at the time.
153
5. Patani. Siamese money was not in general use here, perhaps, but was understood in the ports of the Siamese-Malay States: e. g., in Patani Town.
2 solat (lot) make
2 at
4 phai
2 füang
4 saling
33
33
1. at
1 phai
1 füang
1 salüng
1 bat32
4 bat
20 tamläng
6. Patani. Minted coinage. All Patani pitis (cash) were formerly coined in the precincts of the is'ana (palace) up to about two years ago (writing in 1899-1900). All the pitis were called in at the death of the late Raja, the new Raja issuing new coins, according to the usual custom.
1 tamlüng
1 chang (kati )23
19 Here the kupang the tali.
20 See ante, Vol. XXVI., pp. 290 ff. Cowries are nowadays grated and used medicinally.
21 Patani was divided into seven provinces. Cash were not obtainable in Kedah, West Coast, but were so in Kelantan and Tringganu, East Coast.
22 kop 1 tikal.
25 For an explanation of Siamese money, see ante, Vol. XXVII pp. 1 f.
