My feature Primitive Money for Tuesday April 17 is Siamese Bullet Money.

The bullet money of Siam (Thiland) was issued from 1237 to 1886.

To produce these bullets molten silver or gold is poured into a wooden form and shaped into an elliptical bar. Then two shallow parallel crosscuts are made in the bar, and it is hammered into a nearly round shape. The ends of each piece appear turned together so that the finished money is almost round - very much like a real bullet. Stamps are made by hand by resting the bullet in the hollow of an elephant's bone and striking using a punch.

Bullet money was valued in Bahts. The denominations of the silver bullets ranged from the tiney 1/128th Baht (.12 grams silver) to 80 Bahts (1185.00 - 1232.00 grams silver). Silver Bullet money was make in .900 to .950 fine silver.

Gold bullet money was made in the same way and in denominations of 1/32 Baht (.48 grams gold) to 16 Baht (246.4 grams gold).

Gold and silver bullet money have been a medium of exchange since Medieval times. An interesting fact is that a 1 Baht bullet made of gold (15.4 grams of gold) weighs the same as a 1 Baht bullet made of silver (15.4 grams of silver). The reson for this is that the Baht origionally was a weight not a denomination. Usually 1 gold Baht was equal to 16 silver Baht.

Bullet money was demonetized on October 28, 1904. They were allowed to be exchanged for flat coins until October 26, 1905. This date was extended to July 24, 1908. The bullet money had lasted for more than 600 years.

The specimen pictured is a Silver 1 Baht Bullet that I purchased in the early 1960's. It has a weight of 15.4 grams and is about .5 inch in diameter. The stamp on this specimen is the "Chakra", symbol of the god Vishnu, and the mark of the Bangkok Dynasty.

For an additional picture that offers a better view of the turned together ends click here: http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=11106

REFERENCES:

"An Ethnographic Study of Traditional Money" by Charles Opitz

"Strange Moneys Of The World" by Ted Wear

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