1 Tang Larin

The VOC began striking larins at its Ceylon facilities in the late 1650s to address chronic shortages of small-denomination currency in the coastal trade networks around the island. The larin — originally a bent wire coinage native to the Persian Gulf region — was familiar enough to local merchants that the Company adopted the denomination rather than impose European monetary forms. This copper issue reflects that pragmatic accommodation.

Scholt II#20b identifies a specific die pairing within what is otherwise a loosely controlled series; striking consistency across VOC copper from this period was notoriously poor, with significant weight variation tolerated so long as pieces circulated acceptably.