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These are also a fun series that I do not know too much about them but yours is a nice weight, one documented by Singh. I have a half pitis (SS32), which is 0.48 grams, as well as three full pitis pieces (SS33) which are 0.88, 1.15, and 1.42 grams. Singh's example weight is 1.10 grams but he also gives two larger ones, a 2.20 and 3.80 gram piece. Are these a two and four pitis denominations? They seem to be conveniently close to 2x and 4x weight, which makes sense when there is already a documented 1/2x weight denomination. See Z#83567 for another 2x weight of 2.25 grams. I'm not sure if there is much discussion of there Terengganu pitis outside of Singh's catalog. For anyone not familiar with these cast coins of Southeast Asia, the weights of individual coins can often be off-weight in either direction due to their production method. Taken in numbers, however, trends and weight denominations clearly emerge in some series. Terengganu Sultanate of the Malay Peninsula, Malaysiac. 1775-1825 ADTin half pitis | 0.48 gramsObv: Kali Malik Al AdilRev: Blank (uniface)Ref: SS32 Terengganu Sultanate of the Malay Peninsula, Malaysiac. 1775-1825 ADTin pitis | 1.15 grams | 21mm wideObv: Kali Malik Al AdilRev: Blank (uniface)Ref: SS33

I cannot speak about the authenticity of the Bantam coins, but your coin highlighted something interesting! The coin features low relief fragments of a box or four lines arranged as a square between the two reverse rims. What's up with that? Z#6844 which you shared seems to maybe have the same feature, although in even lower relief. Perhaps that is just die finishing effects. I have not seen this feature on a Bantam coin, though. This chart is very helpful, thank you for sharing it! Here is a map of Bantam (Banten), near the northwest end of Java close to the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. And here is my Bantam Sultanate coin! I got this off of eBay where it was misidentified as a Japanese coin. I probably still overpaid (I think around $10 or 15), given the low quality, but I was still happy to get myself a budget Bantam bronze. I pulled the date from Z#214241 which cites a Mitchiner article and bases it off of the title used on these coins and known Bantam kings. Bantam Sultanate (Banten) of Java, Indonesia1546-1596 ADBronze cash | 2.28 grams | 24mm wideObv: Pangeran RatouRev: JaSee this coin on Zeno, Z#258445

Chola Dynasty of South India Issued under Rajaraja I 985-1014 ADAE kahavanu (stater) | 4.38 grams | 18.5x17.5mm | 3mm thick So-called "Octopus Man" coinSee it on Zeno, Z#294117 Next: Another coin issued +- 15 years around the year 1000 AD

I sent you a PM but the Indonesian river cash coins are probably the largest source for Chinese cash right now since China limits exports of them, if I recall correctly. The great numismatist Werner Burger started his studies based off of a hoard from Indonesia, although I think those were from Java or Bali but I might be wrong about that. Tons (literal) of Chinese cash are found in Palembang and East Java commonly. Here's another Northern Song Dynasty coin found in Palembang that is over 1000 years old. Northern Song Dynasty of China 990-994 AD Obv: Chun Hua Yuan Bao Rev: Blank

It should show now, I just included Mahlo's book cover. Here's a Chinese cash coin that was recovered from the Musi River in Palembang, Sumatra, present-day Indonesia. The imported Chinese cash made up the bulk of coinage in the area for centuries from c. 1200/1300 AD until the 1700/1800s when local tin coinages and colonial bronze overtook them as the dominant small change. Some areas, like Bali, retained use of the Chinese cash coins until the mid 1900s.

These are super lovely Burmese silver coins of the ancient Pyu city-states, very nice examples too! The first one is particularly stunning, it is the earliest variety of the Rising Sun series. This type has been reattributed in recent years by Dietrich Mahlo to the Pyu city of Halin. The earliest variety, which yours is, has been reported only from that immediate area if I remember correctly while the various imitative types (like my first coin in the opening post) have been discovered widely across Myanmar/Burma and Thailand, and even as far away as south Vietnam and far south Thailand. The second coin also has been slightly adjusted from Wicks by Mahlo; he puts it around three hundred years earlier than Wicks. I will give both below. If anyone is interested in understanding these amazing early Myanmar coins, I really cannot recommend Mahlo's book enough. It's such an impressive work. Rising Sun: Pyu city-state of Halin, c. early 400s AD, full unit, ref: Mahlo 8a.1 Bhadrapitha: Pyu city-state of Sriksetra, c. 500s AD, quarter unit, ref: Mahlo 13.5 Glad you like that tin Ming imitation, as well! You raise good questions about the dating and attribution- I'm really not too sure either. Bgriff seems to understand it more than anyone, and you seem to understand it more than me even. Looking for the ꧋ character/glyph I think I perhaps see it attached at 9 o'clock: the right portion of what I outlined in red earlier as #1. Scripts and languages are not my specialty, although I have a lot of respect for the battle here. Sometime I need to bust my Jambi pitis out of their 2x2s to get better photos. Jambi Sultanate of Sumatra, IndonesiaCirca 1590-1620 ADTin pitis | 0.93 grams | 19mm wide Obv: Raj Chanpi ? Rev: Blank (uniface)Ex. Frank S Robinson Pricelist #136, November 2020, with additional found provenance from the two sources prior to FSR for this Jambi Sultanate of Sumatra, IndonesiaCirca 1743-1790 ADTin pitis Obv: Sultan Anum Sri Ingalaga Rev: Blank (uniface)

I'm not so sure what the expected alloy should be, let me look at some of the sources that I have and get back to you. One thing to note: my lack of belief in a first millennium AD date for these namo coins was based on me not knowing of any archaeological finds of namo coins. Since then I have learned about the reported river hoards from Nakhon Si Thammarat as well as other reported finds from Surat Thani and Phitsanulok. That makes me rethink my assumption there, perhaps these are truly ancient and date to the late centuries of the first millennium. Tomorrow I will share some bits from the Thai book about namo coins, specifically the oldest variety of namo coins. Yours is definitely a later period one, I just don't know how late. As for your Jambi pitis, that thing is very nice! Thanks for sharing. Sometime you should get some good photos of it for Zeno, it would be worth recording a high quality piece like that. I'm not too familiar with Jambi pitis, I have a handful but they have long confused me. Someday I will give them a proper effort. I looked at your piece and it is a perfect match to Z#195611, you mentioned. I pieced together this much of the legend from the one on Zeno, it lines up pretty good but there seems to be some pieces missing or out of place, although that is probably expected. I'm sure I also misplaced or misread some of this legend, I'm not good with these Jambi pitis at all. The linguistic and script differences with the ever-changing Arabic on the tin pitis of the region is pretty overwhelming. I tend to just accept what I find on Zeno and hope the experts there have it right. Dating is also confusing to me but I understand that much of it is based on the various honorific titles that the Sultans and other rulers used. Most tin coins of the area are not dated or attributed to a specific ruler, just often titles like "The Just Ruler" and a handful of others.

Hi Ed, Glad to see this! I remember you shared this on one of my first threads on CT about SE Asian coins. To be honest with you, I really do not know about these. Scott Semans (coincoin.com) has lent me a book covering Namo coins (what you have posted here, also Z#133598 and others). It is in Thai and I've been told the historical details are questionable, to say the least, but it seems evident to me that there is a proper evolution of the Namo coins which led to later types like yours. As for the timeline, I have no idea but I would suggest maybe something like 1700s-1800s AD for your later variety (assuming it is authentic), and something like 1300s/1500s AD for the earliest variety of Namo coins. I really am not sure about these though, I think they are more in the pod duang (bullet coin) territory which I am unfamiliar with. I have been trying to get in touch with any Thai experts or anyone knowledgeable but to no avail. I've seen again and again that many of the fake Namo coins were produced and sold during the Vietnam War era to visiting soldiers. Sorry that I don't really have an answer to your question, but these have stumped me for as long as I have known about them. As for their tie to Indonesia - these coins have traditionally been attributed to the Kalah Kingdom in the south Malay Peninsula. The book Scott lent me is based off of river hoards supposedly pulled from the Thai city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. This kingdom, and others in the area, were subjugated and brought under sovereignty of the Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra (Indonesia). Attributing these Namo coins to the Srivijaya would be incorrect, I would suggest a Kalah Kingdom during the Srivijaya Period as a more historically accurate title. That is assuming the c. 700-1000 AD date by Mitchiner is accurate, I would opt for a later period like 1300s/1500s for the earliest Namo coins. I am not sure what polity would have been in power at Nakhon Si Thammarat at the time, perhaps Sukhothai? Was it independent? I am not sure. I may also be totally off with the dating of this, as well! I would appreciate any further opinions or thoughts about this. Below is a map with Nakhon Si Thammarat and Palembang (Srivijaya) highlighted.

Glad to see such a welcoming response! It's definitely my favorite area of coins at the moment, and probably for awhile to come. There is just so much variety to collect and study. Korintji (Kerinci) Tribe of Interior Sumatra, Indonesia Circa 1700-1900 AD Brass ring money (ringgeld, anye ring) | 2.38 grams | 22mm wide Ref: Millies#210-211 (see below) Mataram Kingdom (Sailendra, Shailendra) of Central Java, Indonesia Circa 700-930 AD AR hacksilver fragments | 5.20 grams total Palembang Sultanate of Sumatra, Indonesia 1804/1805 AD (1219AH) Tin Pitis Ref: R#10.3var

Glad to share it with someone unfamiliar! Ancient SEAsian coins are pretty understudied and unknown compared to most areas of the world. It's a pretty lively scene! Zeno.ru is probably the best resource for anything from the sultanate periods and trade cash. Here is another coin, an imitation coin this time, from Palembang that is copying a cash coin issued in the late 1300s by the Ming Dynasty of China. The Hong Wu Tong Bao coin of the Ming was a common and popular coin, flooding port cities across Sumatra, Malaya, and other areas. This was issued some centuries after, probably. Private mint of Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia Circa 1500-1700 AD Tin cash | 0.69 grams | 20mm wide Obv: Hong Wu Tong Bao Rev: Blank (uniface) Ref: Unlisted, see Zeno.ru #293858

Hello everyone! I just made it over here. Southeast Asian history and coinage drew me in about three years ago and I've been deep in the books and articles ever since. This thread isn't really for all of that, however, I just wanted to create a general thread here for anything from Southeast Asia from the pre-modern period. Anything that is cast, struck, or other odd monies would be a good criteria for it (ie no modern struck coins). Pyu culture of Myanmar/Burma Possible Eastern imitation, likely from modern Thailand region- from a Bangkok seller and with imitative features AR full unit | 9.46 grams | 31mm wide Circa 400-800 AD Obv: Rising sun within beaded border Rev: Srivatsa center with sun and moon above, to the left a swastika, to the right a bhadrapitha Pyu city-state of Sriksetra, Myanmar/Burma AR full unit | 9.87 grams | 30mm wide Circa 600-700 AD Obv: Bhadrapitha with five lamps above in a beaded border Rev: Srivatsa center with sun and moon above, nine dots within, to the left a vajra, to the right a conch Pyu city-states of the Gulf of Martaban, Myanmar/Burma AR bracteate fractional | 0.03 grams (!) | 7mm wide Circa 600-850 AD Obv: Flower with four round petals, a center dimple, and light stem Rev: Repousse of the front Palembang Sultanate of Sumatra, Indonesia Tin pitis | 0.50 grams | 17.5x18mm wide Circa 1658-1710 AD Obv: Arabic legend Alamat Sultan arranged in four segments around the center hole Rev: Blank (uniface) Ref: R#17, Z#293321 Tay Son Dynasty of Vietnam Issued under Nguyễn Huệ Brass cash | 1.44 grams | 22.5mm wide 1788-1802 AD Obv: Quang Trung Thong Bao Rev: Flower design Ref: Barker#93.29var Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra, Indonesia Circa 800-1300 AD AV 1/4 Kupang | 0.16 grams | 5mm wide Obv: Sandalwood flower Rev: Nagari script Ma character in Sumatran form Thanks for looking through these and please feel free to share anything relevant or ask any questions! I will probably keep posting the various coins I am working on in this thread if they do not warrant their own.