Catalog
1 Lat 1 Tamlung
| Issuer | Lan Xang, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1591-1707 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Flat to gently convex reverse surface, smoother in finish than the obverse but retaining the natural surface irregularities inherent to the primitive casting process, including scattered pitting and minor surface encrustations. The reverse tapers symmetrically to match the fusiform profile of the obverse, with no applied devices, legends, or mint marks. Traces of mineral patination, including violet-blue cuprite deposits, are visible across the field, consistent with long-term burial or circulation wear. |
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| Edge | Irregular |
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| Additional information |
Lan Xang — "Kingdom of a Million Elephants" — dominated the middle Mekong through much of the seventeenth century, controlling lucrative overland trade routes connecting China to the Gulf of Siam. These billon issues functioned within a weight-based monetary system tied to the lat and tamlung units long before European coinage conventions penetrated the interior of mainland Southeast Asia. The kingdom fractured into three competing successor states after 1707, which effectively ends the attribution window for this type.