Bullet Money Público Deposited
The unit of the silver coinage of Siam. It was originally in a spherical form, commonly known as Bullet Money, and based on weight, but this type was superseded in 1861 by ordinary coins made at Birmingham in England.
The Siamese series ranges as follows : 2 Lott or Snlots = 1 Att, equivalent to one- sixty-fourth Tical. 2 Atts = 1 Pai or Phai, equivalent to one-thirty- second Tical. 2 Pais = 1 Song Pai or Sik, equivalent to one six- teenth Tical. 2 Song Pais = 1 Fuang, equivalent to one eighth Tical. 2 Fuangs = 1 Salung or Mayon, equivalent to one quarter Tical. 2 Salungs = 1 Song Salung, equivalent to one half Tical. 2 Song Salungs = 1 Tical or Bat. 2 Ticals = 1 Song Bat or Kroung Tamlung, equiv- alent to 2 Ticals. 2 Song Bats = 1 Tamlung or Si Bat (Tael), equiv- alent to 4 Ticals. 20 Tamlungs = 1 Catty or Chang, equivalent to 80 Ticals.
In 1868 a mint was established at Bang- kok, and multiples of the Tical in gold were introduced.
The silver Tical weighs fifteen and thir- ty-sixth one hundredths grammes, or two hundred and thirty-seven grains troy.
The Tical is also counterstamped in vari- ous ways for use in Burma. Hunter, in his Account of Pegu , says: " The principal money of this country is silver, which is not coined, but paid by weight. The smallest denomination is the tycal ; one hundred tycals make one viss ; and these are used in weighing goods as well as money. "
Conf. also, for an entensive account of the Tical, both as a weight and as a coin, R. C. Temple in the Indian Antiquary (xxvi. pp. 245, 253-256). and Schroeder, Annam, Etudes numismatiques . 1905. (p. 587).
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)