Ayutthaya Gambling Token ND

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Floral pattern

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Provenance Unknown; Allegedly from the Ayutthaya period, Siamese gambling tokens of this period were found in various materials, metal specimens exist in tin, lead, and brass.

There are a few further classifications for these tokens. The first type of tokens were often issued by Chinese gambling dens and feature inscriptions and names of the establishment in Chinese. Most are found to be unifaced while others carry inscriptions on both sides. The denomination of salung and fuang are often identified in Chinese as well.

Tokens issued by the Siamese gambling dens make up the second type. These are often less elaborate and don't feature any inscriptions at all. Those that do often bear the denomination in Thai and follow the Thai accounting system.

The largest group imitate the dharmachakra , the wheel of the law. These are often round and are identical on both sides. The more elaborate specimens have cut out fields.

The final group are often crude, and depict floral patterns, or have animal motifs such as deer, birds, fish, rabbits, or a scene from the Thai Ramayana.

Most types are common, but with the little scholarship that has been made, it has not made any sense of the chronological issuance available. Many copies or counterfeited types thus exist.