Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事！
Thailand(Siam) bullet Money
Item number: A66
Year: AD 1200s – 1904
Material: Silver
Size: 11.91 x 12.50 / 12.75 x 13.00 / 13.09 x 13.18 / 9.71 x 9.87 / 14.13 x 12.93 mm
Weight: 15.24/ 15.14 / 15.33 / 7.19 / 15.24 g
Provenance: Stack’s Bowers Galleries 2023
This set of five bullet money from Thailand (Siam) represent a historical form of currency widely used in Thailand and its predecessor kingdoms.
Bullet money or Bullet coin, known as “Photduang” in Thai, primarily consists of silver, taking on a circular and curved bar shape with specific markings engraved on top. Each reigning monarch’s personal insignia differs.
The earliest usage of this type of currency can be traced back to the 13th to 15th centuries, persisting until the year AD 1904, when it was eventually replaced by flat coins. Bullet money was typically made of silver, with rare instances of gold examples.
The use of bullet money had existed for over six centuries, ending during the reign of King Rama V of Siam (the fifth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty). At that time, the king believed that Siam should transition to using a standard flat currency, similar to other countries, aiming to facilitate the development of foreign trade and commerce, achieving greater internationalization. Moreover, the production process of bullet money was carried out manually by skilled artisans, which was highly time-consuming and unable to meet the demands of economic expansion. Therefore, in AD 1904, the government issued an announcement mandating the discontinuation of the circulation of bullet money.
泰國(暹羅) 子彈錢
物件編號: A66
年代: 公元 1200s ~ 1904 年
材質: 銀
尺寸: 11.91 x 12.50 / 12.75 x 13.00 / 13.09 x 13.18 / 9.71 x 9.87 / 14.13 x 12.93 mm
