Gambar tin ingot currency

Palembang's tin ingot currency functioned as a commodity money in a region where the metal itself was the primary export, mined from deposits in the interior of Sumatra. The Sultanate controlled this trade jealously, and the ingots served simultaneously as a medium of exchange and as a unit of that trade — their value tied directly to the tin market rather than to any fixed monetary decree. Dutch VOC pressure on Palembang's sovereignty throughout the eighteenth century repeatedly disrupted production and distribution of these pieces.

The "gambar" — meaning "image" or "picture" in Malay — refers to the stamped mark applied to authenticate the ingot's origin. Surviving examples vary considerably in stamp clarity, a known characteristic of the type.