Boat Money - Thai Canoe Kingdom of Lan Xang

Lan Xang — "Land of a Million Elephants" — controlled much of the middle Mekong basin for over three centuries, and its currency reflects a trading economy built on river commerce rather than market coinage. These cast tin pieces circulated alongside silver bullet money and commodity currencies throughout the region, serving a population where standardized coinage from any central mint was essentially nonexistent.

The five-century date range assigned to this type reflects genuine uncertainty rather than laziness — Lan Xang fragmented into three rival kingdoms after 1707, and production of traditional cast forms continued under successor states long after the original polity dissolved.