Note - Photographs are reproduced from original source taken circa 1987.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A RING CURRENCY ITEM DISCOVERED AT SUNGAI PEMANDI, KAMPUNG MAKAM, KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR
The discovery at Sungai Pemandi is a significant one. However, out of 54 animal currencies in the Photo Collection of Nasron Jamil there is only 1 photo of the Ring Currency. (Total number of items in the Photo Collection is 57, including 3 non-animal items)
Monday, June 14, 2010
THE SMALLEST DENOMINATION OF THE RING CURRENCY
The basic or smallest denomination of the Ring Currency is said to carry the value 1 cent (sen). It is represented by a 2-ring currency in various shapes and designs. Some are plain while others are quite elaborate in design. Although perching cockerel or bird is more common for bigger types of Ring Currency perching cockerel/bird on small ring types do exist.
It is common to have items such as those presented below with broken mark at the top part of one of the rings, it is unknown whether they are due to detached figure or design of the item or due to the process of producing them. Items presented below are without any broken off marks. It is suspected that more than one technique were used to produce these items. The varying techniques may be separated by time (era) and / or location of issue (in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago).
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
Item 5
It is common to have items such as those presented below with broken mark at the top part of one of the rings, it is unknown whether they are due to detached figure or design of the item or due to the process of producing them. Items presented below are without any broken off marks. It is suspected that more than one technique were used to produce these items. The varying techniques may be separated by time (era) and / or location of issue (in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago).
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
Item 5Friday, June 11, 2010
PHOTO PREVIEW 6 - BROKEN ITEM
Duck with broken ring(s)?
There is no Ring Currency item with duck known to exist so far!
PHOTO PREVIEW 5 - BROKEN ITEM
Bird with missing ring(s)?Based on known items, this item is likely to be a Ring Currency with 1 ring in its original (unbroken) condition.
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A TYPICAL RING OF THE RING CURRENCY?
The term Ring Currency is not a typical term used to describe the currency. Because of the iconic Ring Currency item is a cockerel perched on rings, it was generally categorized as Animal Currency. The Ring Currency comes in a variety of types and sub-types or variations. Not to be misled by its name, a typical item of the Ring Currency is normally smaller than a typical ring that can fit the finger of the hand. The Ring Currency does not only come with various number of rings, with and without animal attachments, certain variety actually looks like a ring.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
SS20a, SS20b and SS20c
The iconic Ring Currency of cockerel perched on rings presented in The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400 - 1967 by Saran Singh included in an earlier post in block images are as below.
SS20a
Cockerel perched on 3 rings
Length: 60mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: 18.8 grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SS20b
Cockerel perched on 5 rings
Length: 88mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: ? grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: 'The Native Coinage of the Malay Peninsula - The Northern Group - Kedah and Perlis" by Major Fred Pridmore, Spink & Son Ltd. - Numismatic Circulars 1972 Volume LXXX No. 9 and 10
SS20c
Cockerel perched on 6 rings
Length: 100mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: ? grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: "Primitive Money - Odds and Curious Monies" by Hans M.F. Schulman 1967 - 1968 No. 159 (New York U.S.A.)
From the design and size of the cockerels it can be established that all item SS20a, SS20b and SS20c are of the same variety. It is believed that item SS20a (cockerel perched on 3 rings) is originally with more than 3 rings based on the broken off mark at the bottom of the lower-most ring. Item referred as SS20b, a sketch presented by Pridmore (1972) is also with what appears to be a broken off mark. Two items with 5 rings are known to exist in the collection of Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Money Museum, Manila, the Philippines. Based on published photographs both of the items appear to be items with 5-ring in their original condition i.e. not an item with more than 5 rings that are broken. The sketch presented by Pridmore is unlikely based on one of the known two 5-ring items as such it is believed that at least another 5-ring item exist most probably in the collection of a museum in the UK if not the British Museum.
The item with the most number of 6 rings based on the encyclopaedia is item SS20c (Schulman, 1968). It was earlier thought that the mark at the bottom of the lower-most ring is a broken-off mark but based on certain known items that is yet to be made public, it was established that the bottom of the lower most ring was designed as such. Therefore, the cockerel perched on 6 rings is indeed a 6-ring item in its original condition.
This iconic ring currency of cockerel perch on rings will be further explored in future postings.
SS20a Cockerel perched on 3 rings
Length: 60mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: 18.8 grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SS20bCockerel perched on 5 rings
Length: 88mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: ? grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: 'The Native Coinage of the Malay Peninsula - The Northern Group - Kedah and Perlis" by Major Fred Pridmore, Spink & Son Ltd. - Numismatic Circulars 1972 Volume LXXX No. 9 and 10
SS20cCockerel perched on 6 rings
Length: 100mm
Size of cockerel: 32mm x 18mm
Weight: ? grams
Composition: Tin
Rarity: RRR (Extremely Rare)
Photo Credit: "Primitive Money - Odds and Curious Monies" by Hans M.F. Schulman 1967 - 1968 No. 159 (New York U.S.A.)
From the design and size of the cockerels it can be established that all item SS20a, SS20b and SS20c are of the same variety. It is believed that item SS20a (cockerel perched on 3 rings) is originally with more than 3 rings based on the broken off mark at the bottom of the lower-most ring. Item referred as SS20b, a sketch presented by Pridmore (1972) is also with what appears to be a broken off mark. Two items with 5 rings are known to exist in the collection of Muzium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Money Museum, Manila, the Philippines. Based on published photographs both of the items appear to be items with 5-ring in their original condition i.e. not an item with more than 5 rings that are broken. The sketch presented by Pridmore is unlikely based on one of the known two 5-ring items as such it is believed that at least another 5-ring item exist most probably in the collection of a museum in the UK if not the British Museum.
The item with the most number of 6 rings based on the encyclopaedia is item SS20c (Schulman, 1968). It was earlier thought that the mark at the bottom of the lower-most ring is a broken-off mark but based on certain known items that is yet to be made public, it was established that the bottom of the lower most ring was designed as such. Therefore, the cockerel perched on 6 rings is indeed a 6-ring item in its original condition.
This iconic ring currency of cockerel perch on rings will be further explored in future postings.
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