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Sumatra Aceh Sultanate
Sultan Salahuddin
1 Gold Kupang
Item number: A148
Year: AD 1530-1537
Material: Gold
Size: 11.0 x 11.0 mm
Weight: 0.60 g
Provenance: Spink 2023
This object is a gold coin minted and issued during the reign of Sultan Salahuddin, the second Sultan of the Sultanate of AcehDarussalam in Sumatra, Indonesia, from AD 1530 to 1537. It carries the weight of 1 Kupang.
The obverse of this coin features three lines of Arabic inscription which read “صالح إبن علي مالك أتطهر”, translating to “Salah the son of Ali Malik the pious.” The perimeter of the coin is adorned with decorative beads. On the reverse side, there are two lines of Arabic inscription reading “السلطان العادل”, meaning “The Just Sultan.” The outer rim of the coin is similarly embellished with small beads.
Kupang: The “Kupang” was an ancient unit of measurement for gold, approximately equivalent to 0.6 grams. The use of this weight unit can be traced back to the 11th centuries in port areas along the Southeast Asian coast, indicating its connection to international trade.It was commonly employed during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods for transactions involving spices and other valuable commodities. With the Dutch colonial period and the influence of European trade on local currencies, this unit gradually became supplanted by Western currencies.
Salahuddin was the second Sultan of the Sultanate of Aceh, reigning from AD 1530 to 1537. He was the eldest son of Sultan Ali Mughayat. However, Salahuddin’s rule was brief and characterized by a lack of significant military achievements and governance skills, leading to his reputation as a weak ruler. Subsequently, he was deposed by his brother, Alauddin Kahar, who ascended as the third Sultan, thereby laying a solid foundation for Aceh’s expansion as a dominant power.
The Sultanate of Aceh was an Islamic powerhouse that ruled over the Aceh region of Sumatra, Indonesia, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Its capital was Kutaraja (present-day Banda Aceh). Situated at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, the kingdom was one of the most influential sultanates in Southeast Asia. It was renowned for its strategic location along major trade routes and its influence in spreading Islam throughout the region.
The Sultanate of Aceh reached its zenith in the 16th and 17th centuries, becoming a significant maritime and commercial power that controlled the trade routes between the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca.
One of the most notable aspects of the Sultanate of Aceh was its steadfast resistance against European expansion. Aceh successfully repelled attempts by Portugal and the Netherlands to conquer the region, gaining renown for its formidable military prowess.
The decline of the Sultanate of Aceh began in the late 17th centuries, attributed to factors such as internal conflicts, external pressure from the Dutch East India Company, and competition with other regional powers. In AD 1873, the Netherlands initiated the Aceh War with the aim of conquering Aceh and establishing colonial rule in the region. The war lasted for several decades, culminating in Aceh’s conquest by the Dutch in AD 1903.
金幣的正面刻有三行阿拉伯文銘文「صالح إبن علي مالك أتطهر 」，意為虔誠者阿里馬利克之子薩拉(Salah the son of Ali Malik the pious)，硬幣的周遭則有圓珠子環繞作為裝飾。背面為兩行阿拉伯銘文「السلطان العادل 」，為公正的蘇丹的意思，硬幣的外圈同樣有小圓珠裝飾。
Michael Mitchiner (1977): Oriental Coins and their Values: The World of Islam. London, Hawkins Publications.
Khan, Sher Banu A. L. (2017). Sovereign Women in a Muslim Kingdom – The Sultanahs of Aceh, 1641−1699. Cornell University. p. 28
Robert S. Wicks (1986): « Monetary Developments in Java between the Ninth and Sixteenth Centuries: A Numismatic Perspective ». Indonesia, No. 42, p44-59.
