ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

Regional Secretaries General: Mr G P Hennequin

Europe: Dr H J van der Wiel Secretary General [ Mr M R Broome

UK & Eire: Mr K W Wiggins NewSletter Editors Mc S Goron & Mr H W Simmons America: Mr WB Warden, jr.

Annual Subscription £6.00; \(H Fl 25; FF 75; US $10\)

WEWSLETTER no.101 June 1986 - August 1986 Future O.N.S. Meetings

The next informal meeting for UK members will be held on Saturday 8 November 1986 commencing at 2.30pm at 28 Little Russell Street, London WCl. Please note that the London Coin Fair at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London Wl takes place on the same day.

The annual meeting of the ONS American Region will be held on Saturday 13 December 1986 at

6.00 pm in the Monarch Suite, Sheraton Centre Hotel, New York (i.e. during the New York International Numismatic Convention). The guest speaker will be Prof. Richard Frye, well known author of books on the history and numismatics of Iran. Prof. Frye will talk on the coinage of the Hephthalites (White Huns). The meeting will, as usual, be followed by dinner at an oriental restaurant. O.N.S, News

Mobin Ahmed, Secretary of the recently formed Pakistan Numismatic Society (PO Box 1882, Islamabad, Pakistan) invites ONS members to send him appropriate articles for publication in the society’s newsletter. Members news

Doug Nicol of Santa Rosa, California, is spending the period 5 June to 1 September

this year in Egypt doing research on the Fatimid coins in the Islamic Museum in Cairo for his forthcoming corpus of Fatimid coins.

1. Mr… has a small collection of Japanese coins (mainly post 1870 for disposal. He also has several copies of volume IX of the Numismatic Digest published by the Nasik Institute (see previous newsletter) for sale at £7 each.

So MK… Of «ee, The Netherlands, is researching the porcelain gaming tokens (pei coins) of Thailand with a view to publishing a new work.Any members possessing any of these

tokens or articles pertaining to them are invitedto write to Mr Hollink.

eee, iS Collecting information on the copies of Neapolitan gigliati struck by the 4. emirs of Sarakhan,Mentese and, possibly, Balat. Any new thoughts or discoveries would be welcome,

Mr.ee- has for sale copies of A History of Chinese Currency, (mentioned in Newsletter 100) at £22.50 plus postage & packing. Also late Kushan bronzes from ee.

1. Robert Tye is working on a catalogue of the bull and horsemen, jitals, gani and related coins issued in N.W. India and Afghanistan between 8th-15th centuries A.D. He would be interested to hear from any members with unusual pieces for this series,

especially the Afghan issues of the Ghurids, Khwarezm Shahs and their contemporaries,

Mr Tye also brings to the attention of ONS members the fact that a number of fake Omayyad dirhems have beer. noted recently, most apparently of common mints and dates, The coins show fixed die axes, and the following types have been noted: Wasit 86H UN Wasit, 95H WN Basra 100H VA — 10th International Numismatic Congress

Michael Broome has written to members separately about Congress arrangements and about planned ONS activities. In his letter he also mentioned the exhibition at the Zamana Gallery in London, we give below some more details about this exhbition as well as a current exhibition at the British Museum, British Museum Exhibition

As a prelude to the Congress the British Museum has mounted an exhibition entitled “Money:

from cowrie shells to credit cards”. The exhibition, which is now on runs until 29 November this year. It traces the history and workings of money from its beginnings to

the present day. Monetary items from all over the world and from all periods are exhibited to produce a picture of the immensely varied nature of money, and how it has

been made and used. The Bigbury Mint will be present in the forecourt of the Museum at the time of the Congress (8-14 September) and will be striking commemorative tokens.

Islamic Coins on exhibition at the Zamana Gallery

A Major exhibition on the numismatic history of Islam entitled “Centuries of Gold” was

opened at the Zamana Gallery in July by Her Highness the Begum Aga Khan. The exhibition which is open until 5th October is in seven sections, each with a showcase of coins, from Ab’dul Malik to the late Ottomans, ranging geographically from Spain to India and Central Asia and the Yemen. In addition to coins, the displays include dioramic views of life in medieval Islam portraying commerce, minting methods and scenes related to the use of money in the everyday life of the period.

Two collections not usually on public view are of especial interest to ONS members. Most of the coins on show are from the collection of William Kazan while coinage and glass weights of the Fatimid Dynasty have been lent by the Meghji family. ONS members are warmly urged to visit the exhibition, organised by fellow ONS member Robert Darley-Doran. In addition, at weekends the Bigbury Mint will be hand-striking souvenir coins of the exhibition for visitors. The Zamana Gallery is situated in the basement of the Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens, South Kensington, London SW7, directly opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum, Numismatic Society of India Conference

The 74th annual conference of the Numismatic Society of India will be held in Guwahati, Assam on 5-7 December 1986, Further details can be obtained from Dr. R D Chandhury, Director of Museums, State Museum, Assam, Guwahati-781001, India. New and Recent Publications

The Encyclopaedia of the coinage of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei 1400-1986 by Saran Singh. This comprehensive volume, published under the auspices of the Malaysia Numismatic society, is expected to appear at the end of August this year. It will comprise some 700 pages (A4 size) plus a page price guide. About 1500 coins and tokens will be illustrated in actual size, together with all relevant details. The book will contain a considerable amount of historical background information, together with a comprehensive list of Rulers, Governors, Resident Commissioners, Heads of State covering the whole period, and numerous historical pictures. All known tin, silver and gold coins of the Malay States, many of which have not apparently been recorded elsewheere, will be listed, This encyclopaedia will be produced in a limited edition of 1000 copies and will cost

around M$ 60 plus postage. For further details please write to the Honorary Secretary, Malaysia Numismatic Society, GPO Box 12367, 50776 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

1. The publishers Aris and Phillips Ltd (Warminster, England) have just published a book entitled Charles Masson of Afghanistan (ISBN 3), by Sir Gordon Whitteridge, British Ambassador to Kabul 1965-1968. Charles Masson (1800-53), was a remarkable British explorer who, deserting from the Indian Army, spent the years 1827-1840 wandering over the Punjab, Baluchistan and Afghanistan. He collected a vast quantity of coins which revealed hitherto unkown Graeco-Bactrian and Kushan monarchs and excavated a large number of Buddhist monuments. This book costs £18, further details from the publishers.

3), The March/April 1986 edition of the Information Bulletin of the Europe China Association Europe and China contains a useful and informative article by Joe Cribb on

“Chinese Coin Shaped Charms”, pp 4-21, illustrated. This was originally a paper given by Mr Cribb in Oxford 1984 at the ECA summer school, and covers the different uses of charms from earliest times based on archeological evidence to the modern day political badge of Chairman Mao, For information on obtaining copies, please contact the author at the British Museum or Dr Barbara Findorff, Europe China Association,…,

BOOK REVIEWS

Chuang Ch’uan Ko Sui Pi by Dr. Che lu Tseng. 180pp, illustrated, soft cover, Obtainable from Scott Semans, PO Box 22849, Seattle, WA 98122, USA, or from the author at PO Box 67, Winamac, IN 46996, USA. Price US $20 including postage. reviewed by Lester D. Snell

This recent work deals with a collection of Chinese coins of unusual interest, spanning

the period from the ancient Chou dynasty to the late Ch’ing dynasty. The title roughly translated for English-reading collectors is as follows:-

“Chuang Ch’uan - A good, strong or formidable coin, “Ko” - A room or house. Or, in this context, “in my hobby room” “Sui Pi” - the author’s expression of the special appeal that this selection of coins holds for him,

For the sake of brevity, the author agrees that the short title “Chinese Coin Treasures” would be appropriate in referring to this book,

The book does not pretend to be complete in illustrating every coin that was cast during

the period it covers, It does highlight many of the more interesting pieces in the author’s collection, some of which have not been so accurately described nor portrayed elsewhere. Included are the early, pointed and square’ footed “spades” and the “knives” of the Chou dynasty - the forerunners of the first “round” money. Among the latter, a striking example is the seldom-encountered “40 Cash” piece of Wang Mang (circa 6-8AD). It is featured by a rubbing and is among a group of coins in actual size in a colour photograph on the front cover.

Pages of the book proceed through each succeeding dynasty. Readers of the Chinese language will appreciate the narratives and the legends accompanying the illustrations, English-reading collectors will recognise with interest the illustrations, many of which they may not have seen in such accurate detail.

Not only are the ancient coins featured in this book; the author gives an unusually complete treatment to the coins of “Hsien Feng” of the late Ch’ing dynasty.

Thge book reflects a most comprehensive study of the coin groups that have been recorded

from ancient times down to the Republic. Collectors of Chinese coins are indebted to Dr. Che-lu Tseng for having accomplished this fine and revealing work.

The Genoese-Tatar Coinage, by O.F. Retowski, translated by R.Zandor and published by the

Russian Numismatic Society, Akron, Ohio in 1984, US $12.00, originally published in Russian in 1906, reviewed by Michael Broome

Numismatic works written in Russian are difficult for most students to get to grips with

and yet there are many interesting groups of Islamic coins from the territories that are now included in the USSR. One of these is the short lived series of bilingual silver aspers produced by the Genoese rulers of the city of Kaffa in the Crimea and students of both the Islamic and the Italian series owe a considerable debt to Mr Zandor and the Russian Numismatic Society for translating this book into clear English.

Before Venice became supreme, Genoa was one of the main centres of commercial power in the

area of international trade between Europe and the East. Even during the Ilkhan Mongol take-over of Seljuq Anatolia ©. 1300 AD, Genoese merchants maintained their trading posts in Sivas and strengthened their connections in the Crimea, then under the control of the Mongols of the Golden Horde,.

The need for reliable coins in the Genoese colony at Kaffa was apparent from as early as

1290 AD when requests to Genoa for a local coinage were turned down. In 1396 ‘aspri di Caffa’ were mentioned in a legal document and by 1420 the Genoese Treasury is recording the supply of mint tools to Kaffa. Few Mongol coins are known from the Crimea between AH 800/1397 AD and 845/1441 and no doubt the Genoese were willing to fill the gap during the period that the Giray Khans were establishing their dynasty.

In 1453, following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, the responsibility for Kaffa passed to the Genoese Bank of Saint George and the mint had closed by 1471. When the Ottomans took control of Kaffa itself in 1475 the Genoese city state was finally extinguished. The majority of the coins described in this book therefore fall into the period 1419 to 1471.

The original version of this book was published in 1906 by Otto Retowski, then curator of

coins at the Hermitage Museum, Leningrad but previously curator of the museum in Kaffa, then known as Feodosia. He had been intensely interested in the coins of the states around the Black Sea and had already published in German a survey of the coins of the Giray Khans (reprinted in 1982). The present book contains a detailed description of 1 the varieties known to Retowski of coins he attributed to the Genoese cities in the Crimea together with his detailed arguments for his attributions. To the non-Russian speaker these arguments have previously been inaccessible although the careful transcriptions and line drawings in the original clearly describe the coins if one were fortunate enough to have access to a copy. Four groups of coins are identified; those of Kaffa, of Krym, five pieces with aT on the obverse, tentatively assigned to Tana, and five coins bearing Genoese countermarks, Retowski devised a complicated hierarchical system for classifying the coins of Kaffa which make up the bulk of the book. He considers separately pieces with the tamghas of the Golden Horde and of the Giray Khans and subdivides them according to tne Latin legend, the Mongol ruler, where identifiable, and the cartouche surrounding the Genoese arms, There are also seven copper coins, two of which show Saint George and may be attributed to the post-1453 period,

Three Mongol rulers from the Golden Horde are repr¢sented, Muhammad Khan (presumably Ulugh

Muhammad), Devlet Birdi and an unidentified to (Beg Mangu?). For the period under the Giray Khans, only Hajji Giray Khan’s Name appears although the later coins of the series bear only fragmentary inscriptions in Arabic.

Retowski meticulously describes the many varieties known to him including the intriguing

letters that follow the town name on the later coins. He finds that the letters cannot be correlated with the known Genoese consuls of Kaffa and concludes that they must indicate

the persons responsible for the mint. In 1449 it is recorded that the mint rights were farmed out for a year to ““Cochos, a Jew” for 21,345 aspers,. As Jacobus Zoalio took over the following year it seems likely that the products of each would need to be identifiable. One interesting coin with a countermark of four large pellets is included, Coins with a similar countermark appeared in London in 1980 in a hoard dated to 1490 so

they may be contemporary with the Genoese issues.

Without access to the original it is difficult to judge the accuracy of the translation However it reads well and is almost free of obvious typographical errors. The translator, hiding under the initials R.Z., has added a note on Retowski and his background but the book is essentially a translation of Retowski’s work, complete with all its footnotes, It is an essential reference for an interesting section of the 15th century coinage and is highly commended,

AN UNPUBLISHED GOLD COIN STRUCK AT LASHKAR IN GWALIOR STATE by F. Timmermann

The coin illustrated here is struck in the name of Shah ‘Alam II with his title of “Sahib Qiran”. The reverse shows the bow and arrow symbol (1), which points upwards. To the right of this symbol we find the Nagari initial of the Sindhia of Gwalior: Ji. It stands for Jayaji Rao Sindhia (1843-1886 AD, 1259-1304 AH).

The weight of the present gold coin is 2.3 grams and as such is very unusual. This would seem to make it a fifth mohur, though it could also possibly be a somewhat light quarter mohur.

The full mohur of this type is illustrated in Lingen and Wiggins (2), but no fractions of

this mohur are recorded. In my view the present coin is a presentation piece, struck in very limited numbers, as was much of the Indian Native States gold coinage.

Photographs are enlarged to twice actual size.

Footnotes: ea This form of the bow and arrow symbol was used as mintmark during the period 1833-

1893 at Lashkar. The meaning of Lashkar is military camp and marks a place near Gwalior town. A mint was established there in 1811 and it became the administrative centre of Gwalior state.

as Coins of the Sindhias by J. Lingen and K Wiggins; the first detailed description of coinage struck in Gwalior state, 1978.

FURTHER NOTES ON THE LEAD “KHMER” COINS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA by Robert S Wicks

The O.N.S. Newsletter no. 99, pp.3-4, contains a notice by M. Robinson on tin/lead coins

with a floral design and round central hole attributed by Mitchiner to the Angkorian Empire of Cambodia (c, 802-1369 AD). Robinson questions the attribution and notes that an example was seen at Wat Mahathat in Ayudhya, Thailand,

As the following remarks make clear, the concerns of Robinson are well-founded, Mr Phairot Bencharit, a leading numismatist in Bangkok, made several important observations in a letter to the author dated 10 December 1981;

1: There are many of these tin/lead tokens appearing’on the numismatic market, a large number of which are modern-made;

1. All the pieces known to Mr Phairot come from Ayudhya;

<F They were probably issued at a time when there was an acute coin shortage.

Although not identical, these tin/lead floral pieces are very similar to the baked clay

tokens (prakab) issued during the reign of King Boromokot (1733-58) and could well have served a similar function, that is, to replace cowries which were in short supply. (See Coins in Thailand, 1973, pp. 38-39).

A Thai attribution is assured and the association with Ayudhya is very close. For example, the India-Asiatic Numismatic Society, vol.1-2, 1971, includes a specimen assigned

to Siam. Mr Phairot points out that it is عم “…ه‎ of the many modern made lead tokens that are appearing on today’s numismatic market.” Earlier, Mr Chaloen Yongbunkoed published one specimen in the second edition of his Krasap Thai (Thai Coins) published in 1966, but was uncertain as to attribution. And finally, when I was in Ayudhya in 1969 I was give a related piece (without a hole) that had been found there; while in Bangkok during 1972 I remember seeing boxes of these coins, a number of which appeared to be

recent castings. My impression at the time was that they were tokens of some sort dating to the late Ayudhya or early Bangkok period,

It would thus appear that there are adequate grounds for assigning these tin/lead floral

tokens to Ayudhya and dating theme to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. In addition, collectors and dealers should be made aware that a large percentage of the pieces now offered for sale are recent forgeries,

EARLY JAVANESE CASH COINS by Michael Mitchiner

The manufacture of tin/lead-based cash coins in Java was documented in Chinese writings at

intervals from the late twelfth century AD onwards. During the fourteenth century monetary values recorded in Javanese documents changed from traditional local gold and silver denominations to a fairly general preference for valuation in terms of cash. This new preference for Chinese cash and imitation cash also applied to the powerful kingdom of Majopahit. Some documents of this period also make more specific reference to the use of copper cash brought out of China,

The general picture of Chinese maritime commerce during the Sung period can be gleaned

from the Chu-fan-chieh compiled in 1226 AD by Chao Ju-kua, the Commissioner in Foreign Trade at Ch’uan-chou (Hirth and Rockhill 1911). At the end of the thirteenth century the new Mongol ruler of China, Khubilai Khan (1290-94), mounted a military campaign against Java (1293), having already promoted campaigns against Japan (1274: 1281) and Champa

(1282-83). But, commerce proved more enduring than conflict and, following the demise of the Mongols, the new Ming Emperors initially promoted commerce with Indonesia. This was especially true of Yung-lo (1403-24), when the Admiral Cheng-ho visited Java (1407. During the second half of the fifteenth century Chinese external trade was severely

curtailed and commercial links with Java virtually ceased. Java also entered a phase of internal reorganisation. The dominant kingdom ®f Majopahit declined and soon afterwards coastal regions came under new influence from Islamic traders. One of the earliest Javanese Islamic Sultanates was founded at Cheribon during the 1520’s,

There has been a tendency to attribute all early Javanese cash coins to Cheribon (eg

Bosco, 1979; Wicks 1983). But, it is apparent from documentary evidence that Java was using both imported Chinese cash and also locally manufactured cash for some centuries before the foundation of Cheribon Sultanate. Numismatic evidence is consistent with this picture insofar as it suggests that some of the Javaese cash catalogued below were exported from Java in the early fifteenth century,

Early Javanese cash bear fully literate Chinese inscriptions which cite reign titles used during the first century of the Northern Sung dynasty. The Javanese derivatives were made some time later than their Sung prototypes, but the hoard evidence cited below shows that both species circulated alongside one another in the fifteenth century. Hsien-p’ing (9981004) was one of the earliest reign titles used on Javanese cash and it remained the most popular inscription; continuing in corrupt form well into the sixteenth century (ie. true Cheribon cash). - LEAD CASH Provenance:

no.l ex Wayte Raymond, “duplicate from the famous Mouquette collection in Java”. nos.2-l17 all.ex Howard D. Gibbs collection

Chronology: Group A: 23-24 mm: Early issues comparable in style and fabric with prototype Sung cash, Their date of issue appears to lie between the earliest documentary evidence and

the introduction of the 22mm group B - hence c.l3th - 14th century. Group B: 22 mm: Cash of this size form a uniform group which, in the light of their copper brethren discussed below, should be dated to the fifteenth century. Group C: 21 mm; Generally thinner and lighter coins comparable in several respects with their Cheribon successors bearing corrupt Chinese inscriptions, If corruption of inscriptions is to be correlated with cessation of trade with China (late 15th century) and establishment of Islamic coastal Sultanates (Cheribon 1520’s), then the present coins can best be dated to the late 15th/early 16th century.

The chronological scheme has general validity and Group B is probably the most securely dated. One cannot say whether issue was continuous or intermittent (perhaps more likely) nor can one judge how many sites of manufacture were active, The general cohesion of this currency would tend to favour the concept of centralised and controlled production,

Hsien-p’ing yuan-pao; AD 998-1004 Rev. trace of rim on some coins 3.05 gm; 23 mm, Group A (13th/l4th century) 2.85 gm; 23 mn, 3% 3.62 gm; 22 mm, Group B (early 15th century) - a thick coin 4. 2.44 gm; 22 mm, 2.05 gm; 21 mm, Group C (late 15th/early 16th century)

Cheng-te yuan-pao:; AD 1004-1007 Rev. as previous 6. 3.36 gm; 24 mm, Group A (13th/14th century) Ti 2.50 gm; 24 mm, 8, 3.10 gm; 22 mm, Group B (early 15th century)

Hsiang-fu t’ung-pao: AD 1008-1016 Rev. 35 previous 9. 2.80 gm; 22 mm, Group B (early 15th century) 10. 1.80 gm; 22 mn,

Tien-sheng yuan-pao: AD 1023-1031 Rev. as previous 11, 2.80 gm; 23 mm, Group A (13th/1l4th century) 2,80 Gm: 23° mm, 0: 3222-2289 0003 2 14-197 an; 22.هه‎ Group 8 (early 15th century) 15.c°. £2.00 Gite.722 22, Group C (late 15th/early 16th century) - a thick coin 46, 4283 Gay قل ليه‎ 17. 1.51 gm; 21 mn,

In 1979 Paul Bosco wrote of this series (Bosco nos. 1-6; Wicks 1983, 412) “ANS has six specimens in its Cheribon tray. In view of some later types attribution to Cheribon seems very reasonable. All are about 22 mm,……Chih-tao-yuan-pao, 995-98: Hsien-p’ing-yuanpao, 998-1004:Hsiang-fu-t’ung-pao, 1008-17: Tien-sheng-yuan-pao, 1023-32: Huang-yu-t’ungpao (??), 1049-54: Yuan-feng-t’ung-pao, 1078-86”.

The sequence of Javanese leaden cash continues with smaller (15-17 mm) and lighter c,.0.30.5 gm.) cash bearing corrupt versions of the ‘Hsien-p’ing-yuan-pao’ inscription (Bosco 712: Wicks, 413). These coins would appear to have been issued in the sixteenth century. Initiation of the series probably had more to do with the breaking of commercial links with China, than to the foundation of Cheribon Sultanate. It is not unlikely that the present series was all made in Cheribon city, having been introduced around 1500, some decades before Cheribon became the seat of an Islamic Sultanate.

The next series of Cheribon cash has crude Chinese inscriptions that show some originality, notably ‘Sze-tan-yuan-pao’ (Sultan: Millies XV, 121: Bosco 13-17, Wicks 413); ‘Pang-ling-hing-pao’ (Pangeran: Millies 122: Bosco 18: Wicks 414); ‘Tien-hsia-t’ai-p’ing’ (Bosco 19-27: Wicks 414). The readings are not always particularly clear. Later issues of leaden cash lose any attempt at literate Chinese legends and bear the inscription “CHERIBON’ (Millies XV, 118-120: Bosco 28-30: Wicks 414-5) and others dated 1761 (Millies XV, 123: Bosco 31: Wicks 415). In1765 it was reported that the normal alloy for cash then being made in Cheribon was 4/5 lead with 1/5 tin (Bosco: Wicks 412). - COPPER CASH Provenance:

nos.18-22: all from a 15th century Thailand 81985) hoard. Two thousand cash examined were nearly all Chinese issues of the Northern Sung dynasty. Also present were a few T’ang dynasty cash and about a dozen Ming dynasty cash of the Hung-wu

(1368-98) and the Yung-lo (1403-24) periods. There were no later coins, Among these 2,000 cash there were no Annamese issues and no Japanese cash. The five Javanese cash catalogued below were the only non-Chinese specimens, Typology: ) in respect of Javanese cash:

These five coins are strictly comparable with Group B (22 mm) leaden cash catalogued above, They bear the same range of inscriptions and show the same style of engraving. They also share a common fabric, as defined by such features as diameter, thickness and rims, in respect of Chinese cash:

These coins are very different from the prototype Sung cash alongside which they passed current in the hoard. Notably, their engraving style differs: their flans are smaller, thinner and lighter. The comparison does not end there because these five small cash share common features with the early ming cash present in the hoard. The diameter of 22 mm, is shared with several of the Hung-wu cash in the hoard and a characteristic, though difficult to describe,

form of flat flan with shallow even relief to the engraving is shared with the Yung-lo cash. In other words, these five cash bear early llth century coin inscriptions, but derive some manufacturing features from early 15th century Ming cash, Chronology: i are hoard as a whole:

The latest coins in the hoard are Yung-lo cash issued from 1403 to 1424. Considered in conjunction with the severe curtailment of Chinese overseas

Maritime trade later in the 15th century, plus the Thai provenance of the hoard, a fifteenth century burial date appears logical. as the Javanese cash in the hoard:

Insofar as the’five Javanese cash share common and characteristic manufacturing

features with the Yung-lo cash (1403-24) a fifteenth century date for these Javanese cash is also logical.

Hsien p’ing yuna-pao: AD 998-1004 Rev. rim in low relief visible on most coins 18. 2.50 gm; 22 mn, Group B (15th century) 19, 2.25 Gms 22 OM, e 20. 2.36 gm; 22 mm,

Hsiang-fu t’ung-pao; AD 1008-1016 (15th century) Rev. as previous 21. 2.14 gm; 22 mn, Group B

Tien-hsi t’ung-pao: AD 1017-1022 Rev. as previous 22. 2.30 gm; 22 mm, Group B (15th century)

References cited Bosco, P., sale list, Spring 1979, New York. Hall, D.G.E., A history of South-East Asia, 3rd edition, 1968 Hirth, F. and Rockhill, W.W., Chau Ju-~kua, His work on the Chinese and Arab trade in the

twelfth and thirteenth centuries, St. Petersburg 1911 Millies, H.C., Recherches sur les monnaies des Indigenes de l’Archipel Indien et de la Peninsule Malaie, The Hague 1871. Wheatley, P., The Golden Khersonese: studies in the historical geography of the Malay Peninsula before AD 1500, Kuala Lumpur 1961 Wicks, R.S., A survey of Native Southeast Asian coinages, circa 450-1850: documentation and typology, PhD Thesis, Cornell University, May 1983, The leaden cash belong to Mr Scott Semans, to whom the writer is grateful for their loan,

TWO NEW MINTS FOR JAHANDAR SHAH by Stan Goron

Pictured below are Jahandar rupees from the mints of Alamgirpur (Bhilsa) and Dar-ul-Mulk Kabul, Both coins bear the standard “Abu-1l Fath” couplet. The Alamgirpur coin weighs 11.52 g and the Kabul coin 10.67 g. Neither coin is dated, Alamgirpur Kabul TWO ENGIMATIC TOKENS by Ken Wiggins

The two tokens illustrated here appear to be of Middle Fast Origin, It would be appreciated if anyone can suggest their purpose or by whom they were issued.

Brass. Machine struck, Obv. Crown surmounted by crescent and star, a bl On either side the words; فلررما نإل(ة Rev. = 2% millieme rr

Judging by the denomination it is probable that this token is from Egypt anda reading of the inscription on the obverse may give a clue to its use. y Zinc. Machine struck, Obv. 8 H within a circle of dots, Rev. A very crude representation of a

toughra and some Arabic words within a circle surrounded by stars,

The reverse is probably meant to represent the reverse of anOttoman coin of the 19th century.