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11/2 Kupang - South Sumatra
| Issuer | Srivijaya (Indonesian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 680-1250 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A deeply struck square incuse dominates the field, within which a four-petalled sandalwood flower motif is rendered in bold relief, each petal forming a raised triangular facet radiating from a central point. The geometric design is highly stylized, consistent with the punch-die technique characteristic of early Sumatran gold coinage. The surrounding field is plain and slightly irregular, reflecting the hand-struck nature of the flan. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Incuse punch either abstract shoulder up bust ow possible shivalinga. |
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| Additional information |
Srivijaya's gold kupang issues remain among the least-documented coinage of the medieval maritime world, a direct consequence of the empire's administrative reliance on perishable materials — palm-leaf manuscripts, trade ledgers written in ink — rather than stone inscriptions that might have preserved mint records. The empire controlled the Strait of Malacca at its peak, and these small gold pieces circulated across a trade network reaching coastal India, Tang and Song dynasty China, and the Malay peninsula.
Attribution to Srivijaya itself is contested in the literature; some scholars assign comparable fractional gold pieces to tributary ports rather than a central issuing authority at Palembang.