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Help ID - Thailand Coins/Commemoratives

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kbbpll's Avatar
United States
4233 Posts
 Posted 01/24/2014  6:48 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I spent the morning identifying my Thai coins inherited from father-in-law, but couldn't find these two anywhere on numista.com. I suspect they are unofficial commemoratives due to packaging (small plastic ziplock), quality of metal (see how the plating is incomplete on the King's mother portrait), and I can't see a denomination on them - I can read numbers and "baht" in Thai, sort of - although the first one has a date. These are large coins, on the order of 32mm, and resemble copper. If there's a better world coin reference website than numista.com, please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Help-ID---Thailand-Coins/Commemoratives

Help-ID---Thailand-Coins/Commemoratives
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kbbpll's Avatar
United States
4233 Posts
 Posted 01/24/2014  7:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Update - My wife read these for me. The first is 50 year anniversary on the throne of Rama IX, dated 2539 = 1996. The second is commemorating the death of the King mother, March 10 2539 (also 1996). Neither has a denomination, which she thought was unusual. The plastic ziplock bags they are in are from the Thailand mint, so apparently they were officially issued commemoratives. I would guess they're fairly common among collectors in Thailand. No idea what the material is but the silver color peeking through the copper on the second coin seems to indicate they're not even solid copper, and also seems uncharacteristic of the Thailand mint which in my observation generally produces high quality coinage (given that these are mint-state).
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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16829 Posts
 Posted 01/24/2014  8:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
They probably are "offical commemoratives", made by the Thai Mint - but they aren't coins, they're medals. They both bear the date 2539 (AD 1996). The top one presumably celebrates the same thing which the similar-looking special design coins of 1996 also commemorate - the 50th year of reign of the king.

The bottom coin depicts the Princess Mother, Srinagarindra, the king's mother, who passed away in 1995; her Royal Cremation took place in 1996 and I assume this medal commemorates this. I also assume the monument on the other side is her Crematorium building. The two lines of script below the monument, ending in the dates "2443" and "2538", are presumably her birth and death dates in the current Thai calendar.

Edit: we cross-posted, but I hope you find this information helpful, too.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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kbbpll's Avatar
United States
4233 Posts
 Posted 01/24/2014  9:15 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks @sap. You are correct - the second medal commemorates the cremation and the reverse I think depicts the royal crematorium, which according to wikipedia was constructed for her ceremony: "The Royal Cremation took place on 10 March 1996, for which an elaborately carved Royal Crematorium, or Phra Merumas, was built in the centre of Sanam Luang, symbolizing the mythical mountain abode of the Hindu gods. Crowds lined the street as the golden urn of rank was transported on the Royal Great Victory Carriage, or Phra Maha Pichai Ratcharot, in a solemn procession from the Grand Palace to the Royal Crematorium. This Royal Cremation Ceremony was one of the biggest events Thailand has witnessed in modern times, attended by thousands of people and watched on television nationwide."

I have several other individual 50th anniversary of reign coins as well as a 6-coin set. Why a non-denominational medal as well? These events are a big deal in Thailand, so clearly, the more the merrier. They even printed a 60 baht note for the 60th anniversary.

Help-ID---Thailand-Coins/Commemoratives
Edited by kbbpll
01/24/2014 9:16 pm
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Thailand
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 Posted 01/25/2014  12:32 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add thai-vic to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Several kings of Thailand are held in very high regard and even venerated. Rama V (King Chulalongkhorn) is one and features regularly on coins, banknotes and commemorative medallions.
When the current king (long may he reign) eventually goes will be venerated just as highly by the population.
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 Posted 01/25/2014  01:21 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
@thai-vic, I was hoping you would post here. Long live the king. I was fortunate to get a Rama V undated baht from my late father-in-law, not in the best condition but still a nice gift. I've decided to focus on Thai coins for a while, so PM me if you're interested in providing tips. I know I've seen some coin vendor stalls near Grand Palace but I'm not sure if they're reputable, or where else to go.

My father-in-law focused mainly on Buddha images (by the hundreds), but he also worked for a bank in Bangkok and had some coins. On my recent trip I photographed his collection, and now I'm really curious what's in those album pages locked in the back of that cabinet...

Help-ID---Thailand-Coins/Commemoratives

Help-ID---Thailand-Coins/Commemoratives
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