Item number: A1291

Year: AD 1597-1658

Material: Silver

Size: 28.2 x 18.4 x 2.6 / 33.9 x 21.5 x 3.6 / 25.7 x 15.4 x3.3 mm

Weight: 4.4 / 4.7 / 5.0 g

Provenance: Teutoburger Münzauktion GmbH 2023

These are three silver “Larin” fishhook coins issued during the Portuguese rule of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) between AD 1597 and AD 1658.

The larin was a type of currency widely circulated in the 17th century for trade across the western Indian Ocean region. Typically shaped like a long, folded fishhook, these coins often bore inscriptions in Persian as decoration. The term “larin” derives from the town of Lar in southern Iran, and the coins usually featured information about the ruling authority and minting location. Due to their straightforward production process, larins became a popular trade currency throughout the Indian Ocean, remaining in use even after European powers like Portugal expanded their influence in Asia.

In AD 1505, Portuguese explorer Francisco de Almeida became the first European to set foot on Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka). By AD 1517, the Portuguese had established their first stronghold in Colombo, the present-day capital of Sri Lanka, and soon began military campaigns into the island’s interior to subjugate various local kingdoms. While expanding their control over native polities, the Portuguese faced growing challenges from the Dutch, who ultimately seized the island’s last Portuguese stronghold in AD 1658.

物件編號: A1291

年代: 公元 1597-1658 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 28.2 x 18.4 x 2.6 / 33.9 x 21.5 x 3.6 / 25.7 x 15.4 x3.3 mm

重量: 4.4 / 4.7 / 5.0 g

來源: 條頓堡錢幣拍賣 2023

這是公元1597至1658年間，處於葡萄牙統治時期的錫蘭島發行之「拉林」魚鉤錢，材質為銀，總計有三枚。

拉林是公元17世紀廣泛流通於西印度洋區域貿易的一種錢幣，其外觀多半是長條且對折的魚鉤形狀，這些錢幣在表面多半會打印波斯文作為裝飾。拉林這個詞源自伊朗南部的拉爾，表面多半會打印統治者和鑄造地等資訊，其簡單的製作工藝使其成為印度洋地區受歡迎的貿易貨幣，即便諸如葡萄牙等歐洲國家涉足亞洲後也仍在沿用。

公元1505年，葡萄牙探險家法蘭西斯科·德·阿爾梅達首次踏足錫蘭。公元1517年，葡萄牙人在今日斯里蘭卡的首都可倫坡建立首個據點，不久陸續向內陸征討各個王國。葡萄牙在征服本土政權的同時也面對荷蘭的挑戰，後者於公元1658年成功佔據葡萄牙在島上最後的據點。