1 Kupang - Muhammad Malik ND

Reverse

Arabic inscription in two lines, surrounded by beaded circle.

Script: Arabic

Lettering:
السلطان
العادل

Unabridged legend: al-sulṭan al-'adil

Translation: The just sultan

Edge

Plain

Comment

Samudra Pasai is one of the earliest sultanate in the Malay archipelago to issue Islamic style gold coinage, called Dirham and Kupang. Despite the Islamic appearance, Aelst (1995:369) and Alfian (1997:11) has noted that the weight and units of Pasai currency correspond to the archipelago's preceding Hindu monetary system in which:

• 1 Dirham/Mas = 4 Kupang
  
• 1 Kupang = 400 Keueh
  

Pasai would eventually be succeeded by the Aceh Sultanate who kept producing gold coins of similar units.

The obverse inscription has been surmised to either has الطاهير (aṭ-ṭahir) or الظاهير (aẓ-ẓahir) with omitted dot above ظ. Both readings are plausible in the context of regal title, meaning "the pious" and "the victorious" respectively. Leyten (2004:6) argued that based on recorded names in Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai and Sejarah Melayu, the inscription did not mistakenly omit the dot of ظ and aṭ-ṭahir is the correct title, although contemporary sources often still use aẓ-ẓahir.

See:

• Aelst, Arjan (1995). "Majapahit Picis; The currency of a 'moneyless' society 1300-1700."
  
• Alfian, T. Ibrahim (1997). Mata Uang Emas Kerajaan-kerajaan di Aceh.
  
• Leyten, J. (2004). A Catalogue of the Gold Coins of Samudra Pasai and Acheh; their origin, name, and weight, in a historical context.
  

Interesting fact