I just come back from Penang yesterday to collect a bunch of coins from my runner. After meeting him, I walk along jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and found a man selling a coin. Most of the coins he show are not interesting enough for me. When I about to walk away from him, he take something in his pocket and show me a bunch of old gold coins. One of them is a Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang. He try to sell it to me for 500 ringgit. The cheap price simply to good to be true. Something that I learn from my coin collecting hunting trip.
I remember from Malaysia numismatic society auction in 2008, the Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang start the price from 950 ringgit Malaysia. The price can go up to 2 thousand ringgit for a piece of Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang. When meeting my runner, we talk about the gold coin and he advice me don't buy something you don't know anything about. He also alert me that some fake Straits Settlements coins especially the high price already come into market. One of the coin is in auction by Malaysia numismatic society without everyone realize that it is fake. This fake coins is using the same material, composition, weight, diameter and come without any flaw at all. Some of the coins that he mention are King Edward one dollar 1903B raised, King George V half dollar 1921 dot, King Edward VII 50 cents 1902-1903-1905, Queen Victoria 50 cents 1889-1883.
That guy also selling some Acheh old gold coins for 150 ringgit a piece. Aceh is located at the northern tip of Sumatra, strategically controlling the entrance to the Straits of Malacca. In 1511, the Portuguese seized the important strategic port of Malacca, pushing many Asian and Arabic traders to the developing port of Aceh. Sultan Ali Mughayat Shah became the first ruler of Aceh from 1514.
Different views were given regarding the origin of the Kijang gold coins. One is the view which associates the coins with Che Siti Wan Kembang, a female ruler in Kelantan. Her reign was rather obscure as one historian places her in the 14th century while another puts her in the 17th century. According to local folklore, some Arab traders presented a Kijang to the Queen. She became very fond of her pet and had it inscribed on the gold coins. Another version was linked to the influence of Saivite Hinduism. The connection was based on the fact that the earliest issue of Kijang coins resembled the Indian humped-back bull and the bull motif was depicted on the ancient Hindu coins which were circulated in the Northern Malay States.
Malay states started to use kupang when Acheh trader come here. The use of Kupang Gold Coin was spreading and widely used by the rich people at that time. The word Kupang maybe come from a place in Aceh; kupang. Between 1400 to 1780, a number of gold coins or Kupang were known to be minted for used in Patani and Kelantan. Unfortunately, little is known about the history of Kelantan coinage as these coins were not dated, except for the gold Kupang with the inscription “Al Julus Kelantan”, which were issued after 1780.
The Kelantan-Patani gold coins which were on display in the Malaysia Money Museum were only minted in one denomination, namely a Kupang, which contained approximately 9 grains of gold. There were three types of Kelantan gold coins: the Kijang coins, the Dinar Matahari or Sun coins, and coins with Arabic inscriptions on both sides. The Kijang coins derived their name from the motif of the Malayan barking deer or Kijang embossed as the obverse design. This motif is used as the logo of Bank Negara Malaysia.
Several types of tin pitis, which were cast in the form of “coin trees” were also issued. The tin coin trees were produced by the use of moulds adapted from those used by the Chinese to cast copper coins. The coins were broken off from their branches to be used as cash, and the unused metal of the tree was then re-smelted in the next casting. All issues of Kelantan local coinage were discontinued in 1909 when the Straits Settlements coinage was introduced.
I remember from Malaysia numismatic society auction in 2008, the Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang start the price from 950 ringgit Malaysia. The price can go up to 2 thousand ringgit for a piece of Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang. When meeting my runner, we talk about the gold coin and he advice me don't buy something you don't know anything about. He also alert me that some fake Straits Settlements coins especially the high price already come into market. One of the coin is in auction by Malaysia numismatic society without everyone realize that it is fake. This fake coins is using the same material, composition, weight, diameter and come without any flaw at all. Some of the coins that he mention are King Edward one dollar 1903B raised, King George V half dollar 1921 dot, King Edward VII 50 cents 1902-1903-1905, Queen Victoria 50 cents 1889-1883.
That guy also selling some Acheh old gold coins for 150 ringgit a piece. Aceh is located at the northern tip of Sumatra, strategically controlling the entrance to the Straits of Malacca. In 1511, the Portuguese seized the important strategic port of Malacca, pushing many Asian and Arabic traders to the developing port of Aceh. Sultan Ali Mughayat Shah became the first ruler of Aceh from 1514.
Different views were given regarding the origin of the Kijang gold coins. One is the view which associates the coins with Che Siti Wan Kembang, a female ruler in Kelantan. Her reign was rather obscure as one historian places her in the 14th century while another puts her in the 17th century. According to local folklore, some Arab traders presented a Kijang to the Queen. She became very fond of her pet and had it inscribed on the gold coins. Another version was linked to the influence of Saivite Hinduism. The connection was based on the fact that the earliest issue of Kijang coins resembled the Indian humped-back bull and the bull motif was depicted on the ancient Hindu coins which were circulated in the Northern Malay States.
Malay states started to use kupang when Acheh trader come here. The use of Kupang Gold Coin was spreading and widely used by the rich people at that time. The word Kupang maybe come from a place in Aceh; kupang. Between 1400 to 1780, a number of gold coins or Kupang were known to be minted for used in Patani and Kelantan. Unfortunately, little is known about the history of Kelantan coinage as these coins were not dated, except for the gold Kupang with the inscription “Al Julus Kelantan”, which were issued after 1780.
The Kelantan-Patani gold coins which were on display in the Malaysia Money Museum were only minted in one denomination, namely a Kupang, which contained approximately 9 grains of gold. There were three types of Kelantan gold coins: the Kijang coins, the Dinar Matahari or Sun coins, and coins with Arabic inscriptions on both sides. The Kijang coins derived their name from the motif of the Malayan barking deer or Kijang embossed as the obverse design. This motif is used as the logo of Bank Negara Malaysia.
Several types of tin pitis, which were cast in the form of “coin trees” were also issued. The tin coin trees were produced by the use of moulds adapted from those used by the Chinese to cast copper coins. The coins were broken off from their branches to be used as cash, and the unused metal of the tree was then re-smelted in the next casting. All issues of Kelantan local coinage were discontinued in 1909 when the Straits Settlements coinage was introduced.
Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang; Malik Al Adi
Obverse: Hump Bull/Kijang deer facing left. Salivary flow in the mouth with tail rising. A crescent moon and sun above
Reverse : Malik Al Adil (The Just Ruler) in 3 rows and different style.Source: Bank Negara Money Museum, malay-coins.tripod.com
What do you think? Is this a fake coin or is this the original Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang? Do you have any Kelantan Kijang Gold Kupang in your collection. How much do you pay to get your precious possession?
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