Catalog
Pitis Al Adil
| Issuer | Brunei |
|---|---|
| Year | 1582-1828 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pitis |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse bears a schematic geometric device consisting of four symmetrically arranged half-circles radiating outward from a central full circle, the latter containing a small raised dot at its center. The design is rendered in a simple, stylized manner characteristic of cast tin-lead pitis coinage, with the motif centrally placed within a plain, unbordered field. No legend or inscription appears on this side. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The pitis was Brunei's workhorse coinage for small transactions across nearly two and a half centuries, circulating through a sultanate that controlled much of Borneo and portions of the southern Philippines at its peak. Tin-lead was the practical choice — the Malay world had no significant silver deposits, and copper was expensive to import. These pieces were cast rather than struck, a production method that accounts for the porosity and surface irregularity common to the type.