Title:
Thailand Rama IV Baht
Description:
Royal Gift silver baht
Queen Victoria presented King Mongkut, Rama IV, with a hand-driven minting machine. A One Baht coin was one of the coins produced in 1857-58 on this machine and referred to as Bannakarn, Royal Gift. The dies were produced in England and during the voyage became rusty. The imperfections can be distantly seen on the coins struck in Bangkok with these dies.
2,400 pieces of the One Baht Bannakarn coin were produced and circulated together with the One baht 1860, which were struck in large numbers on the steam-powered minting machine ordered from England. The difference between these two coins was undetected and stayed in circulation together throughout.
When the coins were taken out of circulation, the Bannakarn coins amongst them were also destroyed. Hence they are considered a rare coin and not easily found. The One Baht Bannakarn, Royal Gift, is graded by NGC to be AU55 and will probably sell for THB 150,000-200,000.
British Museum Curator’s comments
Copied from curator’s notes (1994):
The ”Royal Gift” (Thai coins presented to the BM by the Earl of Clarendon in 1857).
The history of the minting machinery to make the coins:
Sorndet Phra Chawm Klao (Mongkut) 1851-1868, the fourth reign of the Bangkok dynasty, saw the opening up of Thailand to foreign commerce and trade. During this period flat coins replaced the bullet-shaped coins.
In 1856 enquiries had been made in England as to the cost of introducing modern mining apparatus into Thailand.
Correspondence between Sir Robert Schomburgk (British Consul) and HM King Mongkut shows that there was an acute shortage of silver bullet money in February 1859, and that the King was keen to obtain a coining press large enough to produce 100,000 ticals per day.
In Marh 1858 Schomburgk was requested to obtain, through the British Government, a minting machine at a cost of £2000 and two engineers to work it.
However, Queen Victoria had already presented a small minting machine to King Mongkut, but which would have been too small for the large number of coins he now wanted to make.
Schomburgk ordered the machinery, and then discovered that the Thai envoys had recently been to England and also ordered a complete minting machine. So the Government order was stopped.
The Thai envoys’ order was carried out by Messrs Taylor of Birmingham, at a cost of £3000. This was the same firm that had made the small machine presented to the King by Queen Victoria.
The new machinery arrived in Bangkok in 1858/59, and was set up in the Grand Palace. The Edict announcing the issue of new flat silver ticals to the public was dated 17 September 1860.
Registration nos of coins:
1857,1104.2 (silver, 1 baht, proof)
1857,1104.3 (silver, 1/2 baht, proof)
1857,1104.4 (silver, 1/4 baht, proof)
1857,1104.5 (silver, 1/8 baht, proof)
see also 1905,0104.30 (silver, 1/16 baht) Royal Gift” (Thai coins presented to the BM by the Earl of Clarendon in 1857.
Queen Victoria presented King Mongkut, Rama IV, with a hand-driven minting machine. A One Baht coin was one of the coins produced in 1857-58 on this machine and referred to as Bannakarn, Royal Gift. The dies were produced in England and during the voyage became rusty. The imperfections can be distantly seen on the coins struck in Bangkok with these dies.
2,400 pieces of the One Baht Bannakarn coin were produced and circulated together with the One baht 1860, which were struck in large numbers on the steam-powered minting machine ordered from England. The difference between these two coins was undetected and stayed in circulation together throughout.
When the coins were taken out of circulation, the Bannakarn coins amongst them were also destroyed. Hence they are considered a rare coin and not easily found. The One Baht Bannakarn, Royal Gift, is graded by NGC to be AU55 and will probably sell for THB 150,000-200,000.
British Museum Curator’s comments
Copied from curator’s notes (1994):
The ”Royal Gift” (Thai coins presented to the BM by the Earl of Clarendon in 1857).
The history of the minting machinery to make the coins:
Sorndet Phra Chawm Klao (Mongkut) 1851-1868, the fourth reign of the Bangkok dynasty, saw the opening up of Thailand to foreign commerce and trade. During this period flat coins replaced the bullet-shaped coins.
In 1856 enquiries had been made in England as to the cost of introducing modern mining apparatus into Thailand.
Correspondence between Sir Robert Schomburgk (British Consul) and HM King Mongkut shows that there was an acute shortage of silver bullet money in February 1859, and that the King was keen to obtain a coining press large enough to produce 100,000 ticals per day.
In Marh 1858 Schomburgk was requested to obtain, through the British Government, a minting machine at a cost of £2000 and two engineers to work it.
However, Queen Victoria had already presented a small minting machine to King Mongkut, but which would have been too small for the large number of coins he now wanted to make.
Schomburgk ordered the machinery, and then discovered that the Thai envoys had recently been to England and also ordered a complete minting machine. So the Government order was stopped.
The Thai envoys’ order was carried out by Messrs Taylor of Birmingham, at a cost of £3000. This was the same firm that had made the small machine presented to the King by Queen Victoria.
The new machinery arrived in Bangkok in 1858/59, and was set up in the Grand Palace. The Edict announcing the issue of new flat silver ticals to the public was dated 17 September 1860.
Registration nos of coins:
1857,1104.2 (silver, 1 baht, proof)
1857,1104.3 (silver, 1/2 baht, proof)
1857,1104.4 (silver, 1/4 baht, proof)
1857,1104.5 (silver, 1/8 baht, proof)
see also 1905,0104.30 (silver, 1/16 baht) Royal Gift” (Thai coins presented to the BM by the Earl of Clarendon in 1857.
Country:
Thailand
Year:
1857
Mintage:
2400
Material:
Silver
Date Added:
2020-07-13 09:25:31
Date Added:
2020-07-13 09:25:31
