From early 1400' until well past the middle of the 19th. century,
tin ingots in a variety of shapes and sizes were used as money on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula (Shaw & Kassim, 1971)

THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

Click map for bigger version at my Obsolete Tin Currency blog.

The use of tin currencies issued by the Malay Peninsula was not restricted to areas in the peninsula but extends to a large area in the Malay Archipelago. Although the term Malay Archipelago is widely used, there is no official definition for this area. The widely accepted definition would include Malaysia (the Malay Peninsula, including southern Thailand that connects the Peninsula to the Asian mainland), Brunei, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and islands in the waters surrounded by these large islands. (Source - Bank Negara Malaysia, 1995. Pameran Matawang Perdagangan Kepulauan Melayu (18 Mei - 14 Jun 1995) Unit Muzium Matawang, Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, p. 9.)

CLASSIFICATION OF RING CURRENCY

There is no known classification of the tin Ring Currency. In my yet to be published book entitled The Forgotten Tin Ring Currency of the Malay Peninsula a detailed classification of the currency is made based on research carried out.

The Ring Currency can be classified into the following broad categories..

TYPE A - Ring(s) at the base of the figure.

TYPE B - Figure in between rings.

TYPE C - Ring(s) without figure.

Note - Sub-classification of the above will be revealed in future postings on the blog.

Degree of Scarcity

S - Scarce
R - Rare
RR - Very Rare
RRR - Extremely Rare
RRRR - Highest state of rarity
UNIQUE - Only one piece known to exist

Saturday, May 29, 2010

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE RING CURRENCY?

METAL

The Ring Currency (and Animal Currency) are generally known as being made from tin. From tests conducted, it is established that the composition of the metal consists other metals too as such they are not made of pure tin.

ORIGIN

The Ring Currency is attributed to the state of Kedah. There are evidences to suggest that they could have been issued by other state or states in the Malay Peninsula. The accuracy of attributing the currency exclusively to the state of Kedah can be argued.

USAGE AND ACCEPTANCE

The Ring Currency was used extensively within the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago based on discovery of the currency at various locations around the peninsula and archipelago.

VALUE

The actual value of the Ring Currency (according to the various types that exists) are not known for certain. The various values given to them by certain literature may hold true for that particular point in time and is subjected to the value of the other currencies that they are compared and equated with.

UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENCY

Not much is known about the Ring Currency. The understanding of this forgotten currency is my motivation for this blog and my yet to be published book on this subject.
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