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1 copper coin 'Jambi Lion'
| Issuer | Melayu Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 1000-1350 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | None |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device depicts a crowned or crested lion's head in left profile, rendered in bold relief with a schematised beak-like snout and a prominent crown or headdress composed of layered curved elements above. A large stylised wing or scroll motif extends to the right of the head, filling the field. The lower portion of the flan displays a row of alternating lozenge and pellet ornaments arranged horizontally, forming a decorative border. The field is otherwise plain, and the flan exhibits the characteristic irregular, hand-struck surface of hammered medieval coinage from the Melayu Kingdom of Sumatra. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The so-called "Jambi Lion" coinages are among the most debated issues in Southeast Asian numismatics. Attributed to the Melayu Kingdom centered on the Batang Hari river basin in Sumatra, they circulated during a period when Jambi was contesting regional dominance with Srivijaya — and at times absorbing what remained of it. The broad date range reflects genuine scholarly disagreement, not carelessness.
Bronze coinage of this type was almost certainly influenced by contact with Indian mercantile networks, though the iconographic vocabulary became distinctly local in execution.