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1 Pitis - Alamat Sultan round hole
| Issuer | Palembang, Sultanate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1658-1710 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Cast tin pitis of annular form, with a large central circular perforation occupying approximately half the coin's diameter. The annular field bears a four-line Arabic inscription reading 'Alamat Sultan' (Mark of the Sultan), disposed around the central hole in a manner typical of Palembang sultanate coinage. The lettering is rendered in a somewhat crude, informal Arabic hand characteristic of cast Southeast Asian tin coinage of the period. The flat, unbordered field displays natural casting texture with areas of patination, and no decorative border or inner ring is present. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (1658-1710) - - ND (1658-1710) - Pal #18 - ND (1658-1710) - Pal #18.1 - ND (1658-1710) - Pal #18.2 - |
| Additional information |
The Sultanate of Palembang occupied a strategically lucrative position controlling river trade into the Sumatran interior, and its tin coinage reflects a monetary system built more on local convention than on external influence. The round-holed pitis format was common across the Malay world precisely because tin was abundant and cheap — coins could be struck or cast in enormous quantities and strung on cord through the central hole for ease of counting and carrying.
The 1658–1710 date range spans the reigns of multiple sultans, and attribution of specific pieces within this type to individual rulers remains unresolved in the literature.