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2 Pe / 1/2 Fuang - Hamsa with 'Chi'
| Issuer | Cambodia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1847 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.3 g |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a Hamsa (sacred goose) in profile facing right, rendered in a stylized manner with prominent wings and tail feathers. The bird stands on a plain ground line with two small pellets visible at its feet. Surrounding the Hamsa are stylized flame or scroll ornaments radiating outward toward the rim. Above the bird, within a square cartouche at the top of the field, appears the Chinese character '吉' (Jí), meaning 'luck' or 'auspicious'. The overall design reflects the strong Chinese cultural influence prevalent in Cambodian coinage of the mid-nineteenth century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
Cambodia's billon coinage of the 1840s was produced under the reign of Ang Chan II's successors during a period when the kingdom was effectively contested between Siamese and Vietnamese imperial interests. The Hamsa-type pieces circulated in a monetary environment where Chinese, Siamese, and Vietnamese coins all moved through Cambodian markets simultaneously, and locally-struck billon was one of the few indigenous instruments available to the court.
The 'Chi' countermark — a Chinese character — suggests these pieces passed through Chinese merchant networks operating in the Mekong delta trade system.