1. Thai Coins 2008
2. Thai Coins Value
3. Thai Coins Pictures
4. Thailand Coins Identification

Thai Coins 2008

Thai baht coinage has been produced by the Pathum-Thani-based Royal Thai Mint since 1860. Coins from 1 satang to 10 Thai baht are legal tender in Thailand. Thai baht coins also circulate in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The satang is a subunit of the baht, equal to one-hundreth of a Thai baht.

Thai Coins Value

BE2536 (1993) Medal Thai Red Cross Centenary Toned Copper 25mm (2) BE2536 (1993) Medal Thai Red Cross Centenary Gold (2) BE2536 (1993) Medal Rama Foundation Ag (4). Coin value - $3-5. Rama VIII (1935-1946) 1935-1938 1 satang 1939 bronze Coin value - $5-7. 1/2 satang 1937 bronze Coin value - $6-8. Kingdom of Thailand (from 1939) Thailand Baht=100 satang 50 satang 1946 Tin Coin value - $4-5. 25 satang 1946 Tin Coin value - $1-2. 20 satang 1945 Tin Coin value - $5-7. 10 satang 1942 Tin Coin value - $10. Dates on Thai coins are read from left to right. = 2549 Late 19 th and early 20 th century coins used two different numbering systems CS and RS. Typical CS date: = 1244 + 638 = 1882 AD. This number system originates from the creation of Siam as a country in 638 AD.

Thai coinage, along with that of most of SoutheastAsia, traces its origin to the Funan Kingdom, which lasted from the first tothe sixth century, whose people were Buddhist with a strong Brahmin influence.The Kingdom ofFunan wasestablished as a Hindu (Indian) kingdom in the Mekong delta area to fostertrade between Hindu and parts of Asia, particularly China. It was at Oc-Eo, the port city of Funan, that coinage first appeared inSoutheast Asia during the first few centuries of the Christian era. Thiscoinage was based on the Hindu models of silver coins, and throughout theregion's history, most coins have been local variations of this early Indiansilver coinage.

The importance of Hindu India's role in the coinage of Southeast Asia is closelyrelated to the reason Hindu ventured into the region to begin with. In thefirst century A.D., Rome, Hindu's(India's) supplier of gold and silver, suddenly cut off all exports ofthese metals because of trade deficits and the undermining of their own economyat home. Hindu, in great need of new sources of both metals, turned toSoutheast Asia and began to build trade and exploration settlements that laterevolved into kingdoms such as Funan. At the time of the Roman decision to stopexports of precious metals, India already had a long history of silver coinage.When the Hindu explorers found silver in Southeast Asia, this supplanted theearlier Roman supplies and the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that arose followedIndia's lead and began their own silver coinage. The coinage of the Funan era was silver, molded andhammered in a method very similar to that of sixteenth-century England. Oneside of a Funan coin shows the sun; the reverse side shows Vishnu's hair, adrum, the sun and the moon. These coins, apparently divided to make smallchange, are sometimes found cut in pieces. They were widely distributed frompresent-day Burma to Vietnam.

By the sixth century, the Funan Kingdom was in declineand was succeeded in Thailand by the DvaravatKingdom which prospered from the sixth to the eleventh century, whenit declined after an Angkoral Khmer invasion. The coinage from this period wasalso hammered, with more designs including conch shells, goats, rabbits, lotusblossoms and water jars. TheSrivijaya Kingdom spread north from Sumatra through the MalayPeninsula to southern Thailand, existing from the eighth to the thirteenthcentury. Its coinage includes gold and silver coins with a sandalwood flowermarkand a namo (prayer)mark These three ancient kingdoms all contributed to coinage produced inThailand.

The Kingdomof Laan Chang (Laos andnortheast Thailand) used silver tiger-tongue money sometimes called 'leech money' because itresembles a leech found in Thailand. However, the foreigners preferred to usethe term of 'bar money.' Brassversions were changed for the silver version. Governors in southern provincesissued tin-based coins, similar to Chinese coins, with Chinese, Arabic and Thaiinscriptions.

The northernLannaKingdom , which lasted from 1239 to 1564, used leaf (or line) money made of brassand silver bubbles, which is called 'pig-mouth' money. Nobody has been able to duplicate the technique of making pig-mouth money,and because the silver is very thin and breakable, good pieces are now veryrare.Flower money , which isflat, round and small, is of better quality silver than other coins from thisperiod. One side is decorated with flower like patterns, and the reverse faceis dented or pitted. Bracelet money wasalso used in the Lanna Kingdom. Called this because of their shape, braceletcoins are actually too small to fit around a wrist, although some expertsbelieve that this type of coinage originated in a larger size that was worn bymountain people around the wrist for easy transport. King Ramkhamhaeng(1279-1298) of Sukhothai iscredited with introducing bullet coins. Some experts think they were developedto resemble cowry shells, which had been used as money from ancient times.Others believe they were only a more convenient form of bracelet money.

A bullet coin is shaped something like asignet ring. It was made from a short bar of silver, widest at the middle, withits ends bent around to form a complete circle. It was then stamped withvarious circular decorations which could indicate certain reigns or places ofmanufacture. The coins were solid silver, but since their weight varied, theirvalue had to be assessed by weighing before a transaction could take place.

Thai Coins Pictures

During the Kingdom of Ayudthaya (1569-1767)many high-quality bullet coins were produced, but because of the destruction ofAyudthaya's records during the Burmese sacking in 1767, it is difficult toattribute the marks on the bullet coins to the correct reign. Ayudthaya coinsare well made and, aside from their markings, can be distinguished by theirshape. Ayudthaya bullets have one hammer mark.

Thailand Coins Identification

After the Ayudthaya era, KingTaksin (1767-1782) reigned over a transitional kingdom at Thonburi(opposite the present dayBangkok). The most distinguishing feature of Rattanakosin (Bangkok) era coins is the mark of the chakra , the Buddhist Wheel of Lawand symbol of the Chakri Dynasty. Ninety-five percent of Bangkok coins have thechakra as a dynastic mark, plus another personal mark. The stamping of themarks was done with the newly made bullet coin held in a mold in an elephantbone. Elephant bone was used because wood was too soft and would split, andiron was too hard and would flatten the coin.

The old Thai monetary units were complicated. Thelargest denomination was a chung ,that was used only for accounting purposes. Twenty tamlueng equaled one chung,four baht equaledone tamlueng , four salueng equaled one baht and two feungsequaled one salueng with further breakdownsinto seegziew or paiutt and solot This system prevailed until1897, when it was replaced with the current system of baht and satang (one hundred satang equalsone baht).

Cowry shells fromthe Mekong River had beenused as currency for small amounts since the Sukhothai period. RamaIII (1824-1851) was the first king to consider the use of a flat coin.He did so not for the convenience of traders, but because he was disturbed thatthe creatures living in the cowry shells were killed. When he learned of theuse of flat copper coins in Singapore in 1835, he contacted a Scottish trader,who had two types of experimental coins struck in England. However, the kingrejected both designs. The name of the country put on these first coins wasMuang Thai , not Siam.

Flat coins werefinally introduced for use in the Kingdom during the reign of King Mongkut, Rama IV (1851-1868),although bullet coins were still produced during the early years of his reign.The manufacture of bullet coins was slow; only 240 coins in a day could beproduced by a single group of craftsmen. But commerce and trade were on theincrease, creating a great need for more coins. A lot of poorly stamped andhammered bullet money was made during this time because the artisans were underconstant pressure to speed up their work. Two experimental series of flat coinswere issued, but the production of these coins by hand was even slower. Largenumbers of foreign coins were coming into the Kingdom at this time, and thenormal practice was to melt them down and manufacture bullet coins. Thisprocedure was time-consuming, so KingRama IV issued a decree legalizing the use of foreign coins.

Mexican coins were especially popular forinternational use because Mexico was the biggest silver producer in the world,and large numbers of coins were exported, especially to China.Many merchants inThailand were reluctant to accept the foreign silver coins, even afterthe Royal decree in November1857 that made the foreign coins legal tender. Because of this lack ofacceptance, the king issued another decree, this time ordering thecounter-stamping of the chakra and the crown on the Mexican coins. Thesemarkings clearly made them Thai coins. They soon became so popular and desiredas jewelry that another decree was issued to prohibit the use of foreign coinsas children's ornaments.

Also in 1857,England's Queen Victoria became aware of the coin shortage in Thailand and sent King Rama IV a coiningmachine as a gift. This was used to produce the first machine-made Thai coins.The first series of coins in gold and silver have the chakra and elephant onone side and the crown on the other. Stars are used to show the denominations.Because the machine was a gift, these are known as banagarn (royal gift) coins. The machine was hand operated, soonly a small total of coins was actually issued. The king was impressed by theminting technology, so he ordered a new minting machine from England, whichcost three thousand pounds, and included an engineer's services as part of thepurchase agreement. The machine arrived in Bangkok in 1858, but the engineerunfortunately died on arrival. Two replacement engineers were sent; onedrowned, but the other set the minting machine up before he also died.Fortunately he had time to train a Thai engineer who was able to carryon.

King Rama V continued the manufacture of flat coins and anoccasional commemorative issue of bullet coins. In 1876 King Rama V introduced the firstThai coin with a king's portrait. This required special assurances to thepeople that they could handle the coins and put them in cash boxes withoutbeing guilty of lese majesty. To make sure policemen were not overzealous, theking proclaimed that any policeman arresting a person for this offense wouldhimself be punished. Bullet coins continued in use for many years, and were finallywithdrawn from circulation in October 1904. Thailand can be proud of its oldcoins, a heritage that proves that a monetary system has existed here for manycenturies. Ancient coins, although becoming scarce, can still be found in theantique shops of Chiangmai. The constant shifting over the centuries ofempires, tribes and colonial powers vying for power and influence, eachimposing their own currencies, has produced a little known numismatist'sdelight. Silver coins, because of their importance in hill tribe costumes, canalso still be found. Other finds include rupees from India and Burma, coins of the old Indo-Chinese French empire,American silver dollars, and the highly prized silver Mexican peso.Forcollectors of old coins, Chiangmai has an old coin museum (Mint Bureau ofChiangmai or Sala Thanarak , Treasury Department, Ministry of Finance) onRajdamnern Road (one block away from AUA)open to the public during business hours.