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Canoe money tin ingot currency
| Issuer | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1400-1700 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Tin |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Entirely plain, undecorated convex surface exhibiting the characteristic upward-curving profile of the canoe or boat form, with three prominent raised lobes along the upper ridge — one central and one at each terminal end — terminating in small inward-curling tips. The field displays a uniformly granular, pitted cast surface consistent with tin alloy casting, devoid of any inscription, device, or ornamental detail. Patination is a dark grey-brown throughout, indicative of age and oxidation. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely plain concave interior surface mirroring the boat-shaped form, with the same three-lobed upper profile visible at the rim. The field is smooth relative to the convex face but retains the characteristic rough, porous texture of a sand- or clay-mould cast tin ingot. No inscription, legend, or decorative element is present on any part of the surface. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Canoe money — named for the distinctive boat-shaped form produced by pouring molten tin into simple open molds — circulated across parts of mainland Southeast Asia and the Indonesian archipelago as a recognized medium of exchange for at least three centuries. Tin was the region's dominant coinage metal precisely because it was locally abundant; the Malay Peninsula and Bangka island held some of the world's richest alluvial tin deposits, making the metal far more accessible than copper or silver in long-distance trade networks dominated by Chinese merchants and local sultanates.
Exact attribution to a specific polity remains difficult — production was decentralized, mold quality varied, and no issuing authority marked these pieces.