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1/2 Lat 1/2 Tamlung
| Issuer | Lan Xang, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1353-1571 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Elongated fusiform cast silver bar with three punched symbols applied to the convex face: at upper left, a solar or floral rosette device of uncertain identification; at centre, a recumbent elephant facing right within an incuse rectangular punch; and at lower right, a chakra (wheel) device within a similar incuse punch. The symbols are deeply impressed into the smooth silver surface and represent royal or religious iconography of the Lan Xang kingdom. No inscriptions or legends are present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Lan Xang — "Land of a Million Elephants" — was founded by Fa Ngum in 1353 and at its height controlled much of the middle Mekong basin. These bullet-shaped silver pieces, sometimes called "rod money" in older Western literature, circulated across a trade network stretching into Yunnan, the Shan states, and Ayutthaya. The weight standard traces to Indian ratti-based systems transmitted through the Mon and Khmer, not to Chinese weight conventions as was once assumed.
The two-century dating window reflects genuine uncertainty — no mint records survive, and attribution rests almost entirely on find provenance and weight correspondence to documented Lao standards.