Item number: A321

Year: AD 1641-1675

Material: Gold

Size: 11.4 x 11.4 mm

Provenance: Heritage Auctions 2024

This object is a gold coin minted and issued during the reign of Sultan Taj Al-Alam, the fourteenth Sultan of the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam in Sumatra, Indonesia, from AD 1641 to AD 1675. It carries the weight of 1 Kupang.

The obverse of this coin features three lines of Arabic inscription which read “ڤادك سر سلطانه تج العالم”, translating to “Her Highness Sultanah Taj al-Alam.” The perimeter of the coin is adorned with decorative beads. On the reverse side, there are also three lines of Arabic inscription reading “صفية الدین بردولة شاه”, meaning “Safiatuddin’s sovereign rule.” The outer rim of the coin is similarly embellished with small beads.

During the reign of Taj ul-Alam, the coins minted exhibited two distinct versions based on the positioning of the inscription on the obverse side. Typically, the inscription “تج” (‘Taj’) appears in the third line on most coins; however, on this particular coin, it is positioned in the second line, representing the rarer second version.

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.

Taj al-Alam, full name Taj al-Alam Safiatuddin Syah, served as the fourteenth Sultan of the Sultanate of Aceh, ruling from AD 1641 to AD 1675. She held the distinction of being the first female Sultan of Aceh, a position she assumed following the reign of Taj al-Alam until the year AD 1699, marking a succession of four consecutive female rulers in Aceh. This period of female sultanate rule in Aceh’s history represents a unique epoch, illustrating the phenomenon of women wielding power within a patriarchal society.

Taj al-Alam was the wife of Iskandar Thani, the thirteenth Sultan of Aceh. Upon his demise following a brief reign, Taj al-Alam ascended to the throne. During her tenure, the influence of the Sultanate of Aceh in the Malay Peninsula waned, and Taj al-Alam did not wield substantive authority. Consequently, scholars regard this period as the onset of Aceh’s decline.

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.

物件編號: A321

年代: 公元 1641-1675 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 11.4 x 11.4 mm

來源: 海瑞德拍賣行 2024

此枚硬幣為印尼蘇門答臘的亞齊蘇丹國第十四任蘇丹泰姬·阿拉姆在位期間(公元1641-公元1675年)所鑄造發行的金幣，重量為1古邦。

金幣的正面刻有三行阿拉伯文銘文「ڤادك سر سلطانه تج العالم」，意為尊貴的蘇丹泰姬·阿拉姆殿下，硬幣的周遭則有圓珠子環繞作為裝飾。背面同樣為三行阿拉伯銘文「صفية الدین بردولة شاه」，為薩菲亞圖丁的主權統治的意思，硬幣的外圈同樣有小圓珠裝飾。

在泰姬·阿拉姆的統治期間，所鑄造的硬幣根據正面銘文刻字的位置分為兩種版本。一般而言，大部分的錢幣將「تج」的文字置於第三行，但這枚硬幣的文字則位於第二行，屬於較為罕見的第二版。

古邦(Kupang):
古邦是古代的一種黃金計量單位，約等於0.6 g。這種重量單位的使用可以追溯到公元11世紀東南亞沿海的港口地區，表明它與國際貿易的聯繫，通常用於葡萄牙和荷蘭殖民時期涉及香料和其他貴重物品的交易。隨著荷蘭的殖民時期以及歐洲貿易對當地貨幣帶來的影響，這種單位最終逐漸被西方貨幣取代。

泰姬·阿拉姆，全名泰姬·阿拉姆·薩菲雅圖丁·沙阿(Taj al-Alam Safiatuddin Syah)，是亞齊蘇丹國的第十四任蘇丹，統治時間為公元1641至公元1675年。同時，她也是亞齊蘇丹國的首任女性蘇丹，接續泰姬·阿拉姆的統治後至公元1699年間，接連四位女性蘇丹連續統治亞齊。這些女性蘇丹的統治在亞齊歷史上形成了一個獨特的時期，展現了女性在父權社會中掌握權力的情況。

泰姬·阿拉姆是亞齊第十三任蘇丹伊斯坎達·塔尼(Iskandar Thani)的妻子，他在短暫統治後逝世，由泰姬·阿拉姆繼位。在她的統治期間，亞齊蘇丹國在馬來半島的勢力範圍減少，泰姬·阿拉姆也並未真正掌握實權，因此有學者是這段時期維亞齊蘇丹國衰弱的開始。

亞齊蘇丹國是公元15-19世紀統治印尼蘇門答臘亞齊地區的伊斯蘭強權，首都為哥打拉賈（Kutaraja，今班達亞齊）。該王國位於印度尼西亞蘇門答臘島北端，是東南亞最具影響力的蘇丹國之一，以其位於主要貿易路線上的戰略位置和在該地區傳播伊斯蘭教的影響而聞名。 

亞齊蘇丹國於公元16和17世紀達到巔峰，成為了重要的海上和商業強國，控制著印度洋和馬六甲海峽之間的貿易航線。 

亞齊蘇丹國最顯著的一個方面是其堅定抵抗歐洲的殖民擴張。亞齊成功地擊退葡萄牙和荷蘭試著征服該地區的企圖，並以強大的軍事力量聞名。 

亞齊蘇丹國的衰落始於公元17世紀末，原因包括內部衝突、荷蘭東印度公司的外部壓力以及與其他地區強國的競爭。 公元1873年，荷蘭發動了亞齊戰爭，以征服亞齊並在該地區建立殖民統治，戰爭持續了數十年，最終在公元1903年亞齊被荷蘭征服。