Thailand Lanna Kingdom Oyster Tok 68.35 g 1600-1900 AD RARE

Description

Coin details:
Title
Oyster Tok
Denomination
31 ngoen / 32.900 cowry shells
Year
1600-1900
Metal
Silver with lead
Weight
68.35 grams
Mintage
Unknown
Manufactured in
Lanna Kingdom
1 x Oyster Tok.
A pretty rare type of silver Tok money.
The dome of the ingot is 70% intact.
The edge has 2 somewhat unclear stamps, but it seems to be similar to one of the markings shown in the picture.
This type is related to Tok Chiang Mai in terms of production method, but with a less regular shape.
The silver alloy was melted into a circular shape and hot air was blown inside to form the hollow dome.
Rumours consider the yellow and brown substance on the obverse side to be egg yolk and chicken blood, but traces of gold makes it more likely that the colouring was achieved by applying tree resin after production.
In the early period cowry shells was the only means of payment in Lanna Kingdom, but during the golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries the unit ngoen was introduced.
After the fall to the Burmese, the laws of King Mengrai refers to the unit ngoen, where 21 ngoen was worth 22,000 cowry shells. 1 ngoen was 20 ratti (1 ratti is a weight unit of 1 gunja creeper seed of 0.11 g used in the first millennium) making 1 ngoen weigh 2.2-2.3 g. Generally Tok money were used to buy land and as wedding dowries.
The coin shown on the picture is the coin you will receive.
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