ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

Secretary General Regional Secretaries Mr. - - Broome General Section: Mr. C. M. Webdale

Newsletter Editor Europe: Dr. H. J. van der Wiel Dr. M. B. Mitchiner UK. and Eire: Mr. K. W. Wiggins

Annual Subscription £4-00; H.F1.18-00; 9-00 dollars North America: Mr. P. D. Hogan Newsletter number 68 October 1980 Members news

Mr. Tony Pardoe of Kent has changed his interests and is now concentrating on Parthian and Punchmarked

silver coins. He has miscellaneous Indian and Islamic coins available for exchange. Dr. Parmeshwari Lal Gupta of Bombay and Shri K. K. Maheshwari are involved in establishing an Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies at 507 Raheja Centre, 214 Nariman Point, Bombay 400 021. A trust has been established

to ensure continuation of the project and material is being collected for the library, photographic archives

and coin museum. Research facilities, seminars and a periodical publication are also proposed. Dr. Gupta would welcome any help that ONS members can provide. The British Numismatic Trade Association held its annual fair (Coinex 80) at the Europa hotel in London on September 25 - 26th. and a number of ONS

members from both sides of the Atlantic were able to meet.

Early Burmese coinage and King Bodawpaya’s re-strikes by Michael Mitchiner

During the period circa AD 200 to 550 culture across the base of the South East Asian penninsula was

dominated by the Kingdom of Funan. In this region urban settlements clustered in the fertile valleys of the Mekong, Menam and Irrawaddy rivers, as well as along the western coastlands of Arakan and the eastern coastlands of Vietnam!. The archeology of urban sites in the three river valleys just mentioned attests a pattern of cultural homogeneity that appears to have extended at this period from Oc-eo in the lower Mekong valley across to Beikhano in the middle Irrawaddy valley. Arakan showed some individual traits and the

culture of the east Vietnamese coastlands was strongly influenced by that of China.

The Kingdom of Funan, which was probably centred on Oc-eo, arose on the pedestal of increasingly

far-flung commerce that grew up during the last years of the 2nd century AD3. With this increase in trade came the development and geographical radiation of characteristic pottery forms’ and the establishment of a flat silver coinage>. Some details of Funanese history are recorded in Chinese annals where certain conquests

in the west are also cited. Local Sanskrit inscriptions of the later Funan period are also extant. The archeological eveidence shows extension of characteristically Funanese pottery forms from Oc-eo

across the sites of the Menam valley (eg. Chansen, U-thong) to Beikhano and Hmawza, near Prome, in the

Irrawaddy valley. The cultural uniformity of the Funanese period at these various sites tends to form a

marked contrast with the essentially local cultures attested by artefacts from earlier strata at the same sites.

Radio-carbon and Thermoluminescence datings from the Funanese strata in the sites of Chansen and U-thong (Central Thailand) show that Funanese influence spanned the period from the 3rd. to the 6th centuries 26م‎

Radio-carbon 02111185 from contemporary strata at Beikhano (Central Burma) span the 2nd to 4th centuries AD/,

A characteristic type of silver coinage bearing ‘‘Rising sun / Temple’’ designs is closely associated with

sites yielding Funanese type pottery and it is only this particular form of the early ‘symbolic’ coinage that has a geographical distribution ranging from Oc-o as far west as Beikhano, Hmawza and Sitthaung in Burma, Kingdom of Funan, circa AD 200 - 550 AR Unit (circa 9.4 gm) 0/ Obv. Rising ‘sun within a circle-dot-circle border Rev. Formalised temple with dot at centre: sun (right) and moon (left) above swastika (left) and damaru (right) beside. (Mitchiner 9.43 gm.: for other specimens see eg. Mitchiner, Oriental Coins & their Values III. Non-Islamic States & Western Colonies, nos. 2567 - 2572. This particular coin was first published by U. Guehler, J. Siam Soc. 1949, pl. I, 1 and later as Mitchiner, Oriental Coins I, no. 5252. The AR 1/4 and 1/10 Unit were also struck in this series: vide Mitchiner, Oriental Coins III, nos. 2573 - 77)

Though the influence of Funan in more westerly regions was probably more commercial than political, it is only with the fall of Funan circa AD 550 that local kingdoms rose to prominence in the Irrawaddy and Menam valleys. The Mon kingdom of Dvaravati (c. AD 550 - 1030)9 was consolidated in the river Menam valley and the Pyu kingdom of Srikshetra (3rd century - AD 832)10 in the Irrawaddy valley. Henceforth the

silver coins characteristic of the Menam valley tend to be found only in Thailand, while the equally characteristic Srikshetran silver coins are only found in Burma. Srikshetra, the earliest Burmese kingdom, was to endure until AD 832 when the king of Nanchao mounted a southern campaign that resulted in destruction of the Srikshetran capital and establishment of Nanchao suzerainty over most of the Irrawaddy valley! 1,

The silver coinage of Srikshetra is divisible into three main series that have recently been discussed! 2, All coins bear a Damaru symbol (ritual hand drum) on the obverse, enclosed within a linear and dotted border. They also all bear a ‘temple’ design on the reverse, but the reverse designs of each series differ both in

the nature of symbol depicted within the temple and in terms of the ancillary symbols placed around the temple. Coin fabric and coin weight also tend to differ slightly between each series. The three series of Srikshetran silver coins may be represented by the following examples: -

Kingdom of Srikshetra, c. 3rd. century - AD 832 Series A: Lingam in temple AR 1/4 Unit (c. 2.44 gm)

Obv. Damaru symbol (ritual hand drum) within linear and dotted border Rev. Temple containing upright lingam flanked by row of 4 dots either side:

sun (right) and moon (left) above thunderbolt (left), sankh shell (right) beside (Mitchiner 2.55 gm. Design details are clearer than on the other published specimen - Mitchiner III no. 2621. AR Unit was also struck, Mitchiner III nos. 2617 - 20) Coins of this series always have a broad scyphate fabric and they were struck to a slightly lighter weight than coins of the other two series. Two denominations were issued, the Unit (c. 9.75 gm) and its Quarter.

Series B: Group of Dots in temple AR 1/4 Unit (c. 2.7 gm) 2- Obv. Damaru symbol within linear and dotted

border Rev. Temple containing group of Nine Dots arranged in rows:

sun (right) and moon (left) above thunderbolt (left), sankh shell (right) beside (Mitchiner 2.92, 2.77 gm.: further specimens Mitchiner III nos. 2624 - 2627. AR Unit was also struck: ibid., III

nos. 2622 - 2623) Coins of this series are slightly more compact than those of the first series and their flans are only slightly scyphate. The Damaru symbol tends to be more angular. Comparison of the 2 coins published here with other coins of this type shows that there exist several minor varieties in the form of the Damaru symbol within this

series. So far as the reverse design is concerned the precise arrangment of the group of dots shows some variation between coins and their number may be 9 (nos 2-3 here: M. III, 2624-27: British Museum 2.29 &

2.65 gm) or 10 (BM 2.68, 2.62 gm). The sun and moon symbols are sometimes transposed and the moon may

have the form either of a circular ring or of a similar ring containing a central dot. Two denominations are

also known for this series, the AR Unit (c. 10.8 gm) and its Quarter. Series C: Sankh shell in temple AR Unit (c. 10.8 gm) 4- Obv. Damaru symbol within linear and dotted

border Rev. Temple containing a Sankh shell within: no ancillary symbols around temple

(Mitchiner 11.30 gm., Craig Burns 10.07 gm.: the latter is M. III, no. 2628) AR Half Unit (c. 5.4 gm)

Similar designs (British Museum 5.51 gm.; = Mitchiner, Some early

Arakan and Pyu-Mon coins, J. Numismatic Soc. of India

1972i, Pl. III no. 9) ‘ ا‎ Details of the design vary slightly between coins of this, the rarest of the three series. Coin fabric tends to be

slightly more compact than is the case with the other two series and specimens are only slightly scyphate. The absence of ancillary symbols around the temple is noteworthy. No other denominations were struck in the series and the author is not aware of any further specimens.

After the Kingdom of Srikshetra had been destroyed (AD 832) by the king of Nanchao there ensued a decline in external trade and the use of flat silver coinage fell into abeyance. © Just over a millenium later the Burmese king Bodawpaya (AD 1782 - 1819: BE 1143 - 1181) conquered

the western coastlands of Arakan in 1784 (BE 1146) and incorporated the Arakanese kingdom into his own

realm which was centred on the Irrawaddy valley. He struck flat silver coins of Arakanese type for use in that province! 3, Some years later he decided to introduce coinage to Ava, his capital in the central provinces of

the Burmese realm. To achieve this aim Bodawpaya sent a commision to the East India Company mint at Calcutta in 179514. Silver coins were to be struck bearing designs modelled on those of the Ancient Burmese coinage of his homeland and copper coins were to be struck bearing new designs! 5

Coinage was duly struck at Calcutta and in 1797 Cox, on behalf of the Company, delivered to king

Bodawpaya at Ava a consignment of 20,000 silver coins and 100,000 copper coins, together with the dies

and minting machinery that would enable king Bodawpaya to strike more coins!6. Although further coins

were struck at Ava the experimental currency of king Bodawpaya was not a success. Most of the coins appear

to have been melted down and, apart from a few patterns of other later proposed coinages, the general

Calcutta striking, delivered to Ava 1797 AR Unit (c. 9.9 gm) 7- Obv. Damaru symbol within linear and dotted

border Rev. Temple containing a sankh shell within:

no ancillary symbols around temple (British Museum 9.88, 9.90 gm: the museum also

possesses a die duplicate of the first coin - 10.04 gm)

These coins are struck on flat, machine made flans and they bear designs simplified and formalised from those

on the original coins. They also weigh about One gram less. Specimens of the Calcutta striking are made of

good silver and they have their edges finished by hammer. There are three such specimens in the British

Museum, two from one pair of dies and a third from different dies. They were first identified as the Calcutta re-strikes by Phayre (op cit.: the 9.88 gm. BM coin published here) and re-published by.لآ‎ Guehler (op cit.:

pl. II, 3). Specimens from the British Museum have been published by Mitchiner (JNSI 1972i, pl. III no 11)

and by Lewis Shaw (op cit.) whose illustration is reproduced by Krause Mishler (1981 p. 220 no. J1).

Calcutta striking, delivered to Ava 1797 AR 1/3(?) Unit

Similar designs (British Museum 3.44 gm) Ra Only one specimen of this denomination is known to have survived. It has been published by M. Mitchiner (JNSI 19721, pl. III no 12) and by Lewis Shaw (op cit. A3b) whose illustration is reproduced by Krause Mishler (1981 p. 220 no H1)

Ava striking, from 1797 for a short period

AR Unit (c. 9.9 gm) Similar designs (BM 9.80 gm.: obv. die-linked with 9.90 gm. coin supra) By comparison with the Calcutta strikings the coins struck at Ava are made of noticeably baser giver and they have rougher designs and un-finished edges. The three coins of this type in the British Museum (9.80, 9.89, 9.92 gm) appear to have been struck partly from locally engraved dies and partly by the dies originally despatched from Calcutta. The specimen shown here has been struck from the same obverse die (cfr. eg. the die flaw on right arm of Damaru) as one of the Calcutta coins, but after the condition of that die had deteriorated quite markedly! 7

Ava striking, from 1797 for a short period

AR Unit of Funan type (c. 9.6 gm) 11- Obv. Rising sun of standard Funanese type

within ornamental border Rev. Temple containing a central dot:

sun (above 1.(, 2 dots (left), symbol (right)

(Mitchiner 9.45, 9.70 gm.: struck from the same pair of dies) These two coins have been struck on flat, machine made flans. Their somewhat base metal is of comparable

quality with that used at Ava for striking the Srikshetran type coins illustrated above and the mediocre

quality die engraving is also of similar order.

Discussed by R.C.Y. Ng, The geographical habitat of historical - Mitchiner, ibid. pp. 321 ff.: 2. ©. E. Hall, ibid: A. Thaw,

settlement in mainland South East Asia, pp. 262 - 272 in Early ibid. Aung Thaw’s radio-carbon datings from Beikhano (also South East Asia, ed. R. B. Smith and W. Watson, Oxford cited by R. B. Smith, op cit) range from the 1st. to 4th. University Press, Oxford 1979. centuries AD.

• Wheatley, Urban genesis in mainland South East Asia, pp.288 Discussed by D. G. E. Hall (op cit). - 303 in ibid., B. Bronson, The late prehistory and early history - Mitchiner, Oriental Coins and their values III. Non-Islamic of Central Thailand with special reference to Chansen, pp. 315 - States and Western Colonies nos. 2617 - 2628. This up-dates 336 in ibid., A. Thaw, Report on the excavations at Beikhano, the classification adopted in Mitchiner, Oriental Coins and their

Rangoon 1968. values 11. The Ancient and Classical World nos. 5238 - 5245. For a general survey see D. G. E. Hall, A history of South-east Previously published coins are mainly of Series B (Group of dots Asia, 3rd. edn., MacMillan, London 1968: M. Mitchiner, Oriental in temple) cited below. A specimen (AR Unit) forwarded to the Coins and their values 11. The Ancient and Classical World, Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1844 was re-published by U. London 1978, pp. 646 ff.: 111. Non-Islamic States and Western Guehler (op cit., II, 2) from Phayre’s (1882 op cit) re-publication Colonies, London 1979, pp. 316 ff. of JASB XV, pl. 3. Later specimens were acquired by the British

The site at Chansen in Central Thailand has been investigated in Museum from R. Temple who collected in Burma (Currency and some detail and discussed with reference to other cities by coinage among the Burmese, Indian Antiquary LVII, 1928). © 8. Bronson (op cit). See also H. 11. E. Loofs, Problems of Specimens have more recently been recorded from the excavated

continuity between the pre-Buddhist and Buddhist periods in site of Beikhano (A. Thaw, op cit) and others noted by Maung Central Thailand, with special reference to U-Thong, pp. 342 - Ko U and U Hla Sein (op cit). Since 1978 a hoard of these coins

351 in Early South East Asia. Comparison may be made with of Burmese provenance (incl. Mitchiner III nos. 2622 & 2627) - Thaw’s (op cit) findings in Central Burma and with reports has been reaching Western markets. The author’s coins of series by L. Malleret concerning Oc-eo in the lower Mekong: Les A are also of known Burmese provenence (Mitchiner III nos.

fouilles d’Oc-eo (1944): rapport préliminaire, Bull. de l’Ecole 2617 to 2620) and coins of series C were chosen as prototypes Francaise de l’Extreme Orient, Hanoi, 1951, - 88: when king Bodawpaya instructed the East India Company to L’Archéologie du Delta du Mékong, 4 vols., Paris 1959 - 1963. strike coins of Ancient Burmese type (vide infra).

Coins of Funan are recorded from Oc-eo (Malleret, op cit), from - P. Phayre, op cit., Pl. I, 23: Lewis Shaw, Survey of coinage in numerous sites in Thailand that yield pottery of Funan type Burma since the 18th. century, Oriental Numismatic Society (R. le May, The coinage of Siam pl. I & p. 3, Siam Society, Information sheet no. 17, 1977: M. Mitchiner, Oriental Coins Bangkok 1932: U. Guehler, Essay on the symbols and marks of \(111 nos 2562 - 2564 (= 2815 - 2817): ©. L. Krause and C, Mishler\)

old Siamese coins, J. Siam Soc., 1948, 124 - 143: W. H. Kneedler, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1981 edn., p. 219, 20 - 22. Coins of North Siam, J. Siam Soc. 1937, 1 - 28: 5. Piromya, The British sent a mission to the Burmese Court at Ava in 1795

Coins in Thailand, Bangkok National Museum 1973) and from with the aims of regulating the Arakanese / British Indian

sites in Burma that include Beikhano, Hmawza and Sitthaung frontier and of establishing a British Resident at Rangoon. (A. P. Phayre, Coins of Arakan, of Pegu and of Burma, London Captain Cox, the new British Resident, received patterns for the

1882: U. Guehler, op. cit.: A. Thaw, op. cit.: Maung Ko U and proposed Burmese coinage and they were despatched to the U Hla Sein, Burmese coins, Rangoon 1970). East India Company mint at Calcutta.

• Bronson (op cit) and H. Loofs (op cit). See also R. 8. Smith, Obv. 2 fishes. Rev. Bodawpaya’s accession date in Burmese script A check-list of published Carbon-14 datings from South-East “1143 era / Tabodwe la / byi gyaw / 14th” (AD 1782, 14th day

Asia, pp. 493 - 507 in Early South East Asia. of the waning moon in the month of Tabodwe: cfr. Lewis Shaw - Thaw (op cit) and R. B. Smith (op cit). op cit).

References cited above. - P. Phayre, op cit.,.م‎ 35: also R. ©. Temple, op cit. Phayre - Mitchiner, Oriental Coins III, pp. 318 ff.: D. ©. E. Hall was appointed first British Chief Commissioner of British Burma (op cit): E. Lyons, Dvaravati, a consideration of its formative at Rangoon in 1862. period, pp. 352 - 359 in Early South East Asia. The rough surface of the coin suggests that the die was rusty. ne ا‎