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Pitis Al Adil
| Issuer | Brunei |
|---|---|
| Year | 1582-1828 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pitis (1868-1886) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays an Arabic inscription reading 'Al-Adil' (العادل, meaning 'The Just'), a common honorific epithet found on Brunei sultanate pitis issues. Notably, the letter dal (د) is detached from the main body of the word and positioned below the principal legend, a deliberate calligraphic device apparently employed to achieve visual symmetry and balance within the circular field. The script is cast rather than struck, resulting in somewhat irregular letterforms typical of this series. |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The pitis was Brunei's workhorse coinage for small transactions across nearly two and a half centuries, circulating through a sultanate that controlled much of Borneo and portions of the southern Philippines at its peak. Tin-lead was the practical choice — the Malay world had no significant silver deposits, and copper was expensive to import. These pieces were cast rather than struck, a production method that accounts for the porosity and surface irregularity common to the type.