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Perak Tin Animal Money, The Rooster - (2)
The pictures show five tin ingots in the shape of a Rooster. They are typical of those from Perak and recognised universally as Perak Animal Money. The image top left is more three-dimensional than the others and may at one time have had its own stand when it would have been known as a "Standing Rooster". It is suggested that the image top centre represents also represents a fighting cock rather than a simple rooster. The others are examples of what is known as the 'flat' type. The value of each would have been a fraction of a tin cent, based on the amount of tin by weight which could be exchanged for one Spanish Silver dollar.
Referring to the above picture, roosters have always been a common sight in the villages of both Malaya and China and were used as fighting cocks for many years. They were therefore well recognised and readily available for sacrifice if required. Additionally, to the Chinese, as well as being one of the 12 animals of their lunar calendar, the rooster indicates vitality and energy, due to how its crowing provides an early-morning wake-up call to start the days work; perfect attributes for the hardships of working in the tin mine.
To rsee a Standing Rooster and more Roosters in our collection, click here.
To read about the history of Perak Tin Animal Money, click here.