Coins of the British Commonwealth - Kelantan (since AH1427 (2006)).

BCNumismatics

Some of you will be pleased to know that Kelantan has been issuing its own gold coins since AH1427 (2006).The 1/4,1/2,& 1 Dinar are listed in Krause's 'Unusual World Coins',but the commemorative 2 Dinars is not yet listed.

You can read about the Kelantanese gold coins here & here.

You can read up about Kelantan here.

I have got an example of the 1/4 Dinar in my collection.

Aidan.

newsman

Kelentan is a Malaysian state ruled by an Islamist government. These coins are part of an attempt to resurrect the Islamic coinage standard first used during the Umayyad Empire. The dinars are made to the same weight and fineness standard as the old Umayyad and Abbasid dinars from 1,000 years ago.


Link to Wikipedia entry on Islamic dinar

BCNumismatics

The Kelantanese coins do circulate as currency,albeit,without a legal tender status.

We had a similar situation over here in New Zealand,as a private banknote issuer called the Chatham Islands Note Corporation issued 2 issues of banknotes for circulation in the Chatham Islands in 2000 & 2001-02,albeit,designated as negotiable tender,as opposed to legal tender.The Chatham Islands Note Corporation also planned to issue $5 & $50 coins,but the Reserve Bank of New Zealand banned their issue,but not before 200 of the Chatham Islands $5 coins (an example of which is in my own collection) ended up in the numismatic trade.The Reserve Bank of New Zealand had the Chatham Islands Note Corporation closed down in around 2003.

Aidan.

BCNumismatics

The Kelantanese gold coins are pretty popular.I've been informed by the guy who got me my example of the 1/4 Dinar that they have become extremely tough to find,even in Malaysia.

I'm not sure what Krause's prices are like,but I can guess that they would be pretty low.

Aidan.

spoon

I've never seen anything indicating that these coins actually circulate in commerce (meaning locals use them to buy lunch, not collectors swapping them). Do you have any sources for that Aidan? That would be very interesting if they indeed do.

So far as I can tell though, these are little different than the issues we've seen from Kurdistan and Nagorno Karabakh in recent years - little more than a cute fundraiser and statement of nationalistic ego.

BCNumismatics

Eric,
The use of gold coins is sanctioned in the Koran,so therefore the circulation of the Kelantanese gold coins is in keeping with both the Koran & the Sunnah.

There is a cultural use for these coins.

You should read here,as it can explain things far better than I can.

Aidan.