Niewmismatic Error Coins

EARLY MONEY IN BORNEO

Beads Made Of Glass

Through the ages, money has become not only as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, a standard of value and a store of wealth but also as a historical document on the culture, religion and tradition of a society. Beads made of glass, cornelian and onyx were regarded as a status symbol and were believed to have special powers. Records indicate that when Chinese traders established trade with Sarawak soon after 10th century A.D., beads were among their goods exchanged for local products like birds' nests, turtle eggs, hornbill casque, bezoar stones and ant eater scales.

Jars, ceramic plates, bowls and brass items were used as a medium of exchange in the hinterland of Sarawak. The big brass cannons, including the miniature ones, were also very popular as barter trade currency in Sarawak, and were used until the beginning of the 20th Century. The foreign silver coins, which were regarded as barter or pawn items were made into belts worn by ladies and sometimes by men of certain indigenous groups of Sarawak during the celebration of auspicious occasions at their longhouses.

Jars, Ceramic Plates, Bowls

Among the old stratified societies of Borneo, rank was expressed in a unit of weight, the pikul. This is based on the amount of brideswealth due to the bride paid in brass cannons, sometimes substituted with weapons and brassware in the form of brass sireh boxes and brass trays. Brideswealth of 9 piculs was the highest while 7 and 5 were moderate but still of high rank.

       
DUIT AWAL DI BORNEO

Manik Yang Diperbuat DaripadaKaca

Sejak zaman berzaman, matawang bukan sahaja menjadi satu medium pertukaran, satu unit perkiraan, satu standard dan nilai harta kekayaan tetapi ia juga sebagai satu dokumen sejarah mengenai kebudayaan, keagamaan dan tradisi masyarakat. Manik yang diperbuat daripada kaca, batu 'cornelian' dan oniks dianggap sebagai simbol status dan dipercayai mempunyai kuasa istimewa. Rekod menunjukkan bahawa apabila para pedagang China mula berdagang di Sarawak dalam kurun ke 10 Masihi, manik adalah salah satu barangan yang digunakan untuk pertukaran bagi barangan tempatan seperti sarang burung, telur penyu, paruh burung enggang, batu kemala dan sisik tenggiling.

Tempayan, pinggan seramik, mangkuk dan bahan-bahan tembaga digunakan sebagai barang pertukaran di daerah pendalaman Sarawak. Meriam tembaga yang besar, termasuk yang kecil juga amat popular sebagai barangan tukaran di Sarawak dan digunakan sehingga awal kurun ke 20.

Silver Belts Worn By Ladies

Duit-duit syiling perak negara asing yang dianggap sebagai barang pertukaran dan gadaian, dijadikan talipinggang yang dipakai oleh kaum wanita, dan kadangkala oleh kaum lelaki, di kalangan kelompok-kelompok tertentu pribumi Sarawak semasa perayaan tertentu di rumah panjang mereka.

Brass Cannon/Meriam Tembaga,

Di kalangan masyarakat lama yang bersusun lapis di Borneo, kedudukan dinyatakan dalam unit berat iaitu pikul. Ini berdasarkan jumlah berat hantaran mas kahwin oleh pihak lelaki dalam bentuk meriam tembaga, kadang-kala diganti dengan alat senjata atau barang-barang tembaga seperti tepak sirih dan talam. Hantaran berat 9 pikul merupakan yang paling tinggi, sementara 7 dan 5 pikul dianggap sederhana tetapi masih berkedudukan tinggi.