Catalog
1 Unit
| Issuer | Srivijaya (Indonesian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1000-1300 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Irregular, convex flan displaying a stylized floral or rosette motif rendered in low relief, consisting of multiple rounded petals or lobes arranged in a compact cluster at the center of the field. The surface is uneven and characteristically lumpy, consistent with the primitive hammered coinage tradition of the Srivijayan maritime polity. No inscription or legend is present on this side. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
These tiny silver pieces, sometimes called "piloncitos" in older literature though that term more properly belongs to Philippine issues, circulated across the maritime trade networks of the Srivijayan polity at its height. Srivijaya controlled the Strait of Malacca chokepoint, extracting tribute and taxing traffic between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea for centuries — which is precisely why coinage this small existed at all. Fractional denominations served port commerce where larger units would have been impractical for everyday transaction.