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1 Pitis - Alamat Sultan square hole
| Issuer | Sultanate of Palembang |
|---|---|
| Year | 1658-1710 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 0.6 mm |
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| Obverse description | Cast tin flan featuring a central square perforation, around which the Arabic legend is distributed across four quadrants of the field, one word or syllable per quadrant. The inscription reads 'Alamat Sultan' (Mark of the Sultan), rendered in a somewhat informal, provincial calligraphic style characteristic of Palembang mint production. The raised characters are separated by the straight edges of the square hole, creating a quartered compositional arrangement. The outer field is plain and unadorned, with a slightly irregular rim reflecting the hand-casting technique. Numerous die varieties exist, with characters variously rotated, inverted, or omitted across the series. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | علا / مت / سلطا / ن (Translation: Mark of the Sultan) |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The Sultanate of Palembang, sitting astride the Musi River in southern Sumatra, controlled one of the most lucrative pepper and tin trades in the archipelago during this period — which makes it quietly ironic that its smallest denomination was itself struck in tin. The square-holed pitis circulated alongside VOC coinage and Chinese cash in a monetary environment where no single authority held complete commercial dominance.
The "Alamat Sultan" type is distinguished from related pitis issues by its specific inscription arrangement, accounting for the multiple HCM reference numbers spanning variants within the type.