Kelantan Tin Money

Posted by slang on January 5, 2009

In the early past, indigenous people from the various states of Malaysia like Kelantan,etc used these coins made from tin to conduct trade transactions:-

Trengganu Jokoh(Private Monetary Tokens)

Posted by slang on December 27, 2008

In the early past in Trengganu, the Sultan permitted the Chinese Kaptans(chinese headman) to start issuing monetary tokens which were called JOKOH around 1877 for use in their gambling dens and areas uder their jurisdiction. These Jokoh were legal tender in the capital and nearby areas. The acceptance of these Jokoh by the general public depended upon widespread confidence in the ability of the issuers to redeem them with silver dollars when required

The Jokok were made of tin or pewter and were based on the familiar cash coins of China; a circular coin with a square central hole. The word Jokoh is derived from the Malay word “Jongkong” which refers to a hollowed out boat but in this context referred to the central hole in the Jokoh. Some of the Jokoh imitate the words found on the Chinese cash. The Jokoh also had Jawi inscriptions on them so as to enable the Malays to recognize the issuer. Some of the Jokoh have a thin wire or other metal impressed in the flan while others occur with several countermarks. This was inserted  the issuer to prevent forgery. According to Hugh Clifford, the official rate of exchange of the Jokoh in 1895 was as follows:

1 Jokoh=2 1/2 cents or 24 keping

5 Jokoh=1 Kupang(gold)

20 Jokoh=1 Mas(gold)

40 Jokoh=1 Spanish or Mexican Dollar (100 cents)

Append below is the Jokoh 1907:

Obverse: Within a circle of dots in Chinese”Teck Soon Kongsi”(Teck Soon Company) and “Peng Ngo”(cyclical year 1907). Two dotted circles with a central dot at left and right below. Around the border “WEE SIN HEE 1907″

Reverse: Within a circle of dots in Jawi “Sin” and “Hee”(isuser’s name Sin Hee) above and below the hole. To the left and right of the central hole are the lions rampant holding a trident.

This Jokoh token has a plain edge, weight 9.5 grammes with diameter of 32 mm and the composition is tin (square central hole)

Brief History Of Penang(Prince of Wales Island) Coinage 1786-1867

Posted by slang on

On 11th August 1786, the Sultan of Kedah ceded Penang or known as Pulau Pinang or Prince of Wales Island to the East India Company. Because of this, Penang became the first British Settlement in the Malay Peninsula.

There were two(2) basic designs of coinags being struck for Penang by the East India Company:

• The Balemark Type

• East India Compay Coat-Of-Arms Type

The coins with the Balemark Series were all struck at the Calcutta Mint, Bengal, India.They were demonetized in 1813. The One(1) Cent(Pice) and Half Cent(Pice) of 1810 were struck at the Royal Mint, London. The Two Cents(Double Pice), OneCent(One Pice) and the Half Cent(Half Pice) of1825 and 1828 were all struck at the Madras Mint, India.

Obverse: The United East India Company’ s balemark, under it the date 1787 divided by a six pointed star. A toothed border round the edge.

Reverse:Inscribed in Arabic “Jezirah Perrinsa ab Wailis” (Island Prince of Wales). A toothed border round the edge

The edge is plain, weight:10.49 grammes and diameter is 25-27 mm. The composition is copper struck at the Calcultta Mint.