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Kupang - Ahmad II/III
| Issuer | Sultanate of Samudra-Pasai |
|---|---|
| Year | 1326-1452 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Kupang |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field displaying the Arabic legend in two lines reading 'al-Sultan al-Adil' (The Just Sultan), struck in a bold, informal Naskh hand. The inscription occupies the majority of the flan, with the characters showing the characteristic irregular depth and relief of hand-hammered dies. A continuous beaded border frames the design, consistent with the obverse treatment. The surface exhibits the natural flow lines and slight irregularity typical of medieval gold kupang coinage from Samudra-Pasai. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | السلطان العادل (Translation: The just sultan) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Samudra-Pasai, on the northern tip of Sumatra, was among the earliest Muslim polities in Southeast Asia, and its kupang coinage functioned as the primary medium of long-distance trade through the Malacca Strait during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Ibn Battuta visited the sultanate around 1345 and recorded its ruler as a devout Shafi'i Muslim who conducted theological debates at court — the same court authorizing these diminutive gold pieces. The wide date range attributed to Ahmad II/III reflects genuine uncertainty in the dynastic sequence, with historians still debating whether these represent one reign or two.