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Sumatra Sultanate of Palembang 1776-1803 Pitis

Started by Medalstrike, October 31, 2009, 06:18:01 PM

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Medalstrike

Sultan Muhammed Baha-ud-Din (1776-1803)
Palembang mint

From 5 to the 11th Century was Palembang the capital of the Buddhist-dominated kingdom of Srivijaya.
The descent began in the 11th Century with pirates from Java and South India.
Since the Islamization of Sumatra in the 16th Century it was capital of the Sultanate.
The Dutch influence began in the 17th Century, in 1825 the sultanate was abolished and the city
fell under Dutch colonial administration that lasted until the independence of Indonesia 1949.
Sultan Muhammad Bahauddin (reigned 1776-1803) built the palace Kuto Besak.
In 1821, the Dutchman attacked again and take the Palembang city.
The sultanate is dissolved and the stronghold Kuto Tengkuruk razed.
The Dutchmen are built in its place an administrative residence that is now a museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II.

Left:
Brass Pitis AH1198 / 1783AD
21mm, 2.5g

Right:
Tin Pitis AH1203 / 1788AD
18mm, 1.0g

Rev. each blank

Dietmar
The third side of a medal rests in the eye of the beholder

Figleaf

In East Asian coins, we are likely to think of the Chinese tradition (cast brassy coins with a square hole) found in Vietnam, Japan, Korea etc and an Indian tradition (thick, hammered copper and silver coins, often struck with a die larger than the flan). I think the Malay tradition (thin, tin coins) should be regarded as a third tradition.

Through the ages, Indian emigrants, Japanese ronin, Chinese merchant adventurers, arab proselytizers came to South-East Asia and left their imprint. As the groups started to intermarry in their new homeland, a whole new culture came about, with elements from the cultures of all of the above, but mainly a mixture of Chinese and Malay. In Malaysia and Singapore, this culture is known as peranakan. Today, it consists mainly of some old houses, museums and some of the most inspired restaurants and food in Singapore.

I would consider this coin peranakan. The use of tin is Malay, the casting and hole is Chinese-inspired, the script is Arabic. Fascinating.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

kriyasa

Through history Chengho as Chinese merchant adventurers landed in numerous places in Indonesia, and one of them was Palembang.

The casting of the coin use the old chinese way of casting coin by shaping a tree shape with 13 or 17 coins on it, you can see it in Saran Singh book.

The hole in coin consider to be an easy way to bring them. The can string them all at once, rather then to put it on a bag.

You have to see Malaya and Palembang at that time has the same root of history.

Figleaf

In China, the hole had a second function. Cast coins often show the casting channel that fed the mold of the coin as a piece of metal sticking out on the edge. The coins broken off a coin tree were place on a slightly conical stick in such a way, that the extruding parts were neatly lined up. This would allow them to be filed off all at once.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

kriyasa

Thanks Peter, it is so much cooler if you explain it, rather then me. ;D