Chiangmai Tok Lanna Kingdom

Lanna Tok Money

The Lan Na state was established in about C.E. 1296 to the north of Sukhothai. The independent kingdom of Lan Na was overrun by the Burmese in 1558 and remained under Burmese suzerainty until the end of the eighteenth century. Although it managed to throw off Burmese rule, it was no longer a powerful state and came under the influence of its neighbors, being formally incorporated into Siam in 1931. Chiang Mai, the center of Lan Na, became a province of Siam in 1932. 

Lan Na produced a wide range of metallic pieces of money (ingots) in various silver- and copper-based alloys with major additions being tin, lead and zinc. The simplest of these mound-shaped pieces are known as toks. 

Among the forms of Lan Na ingots are tok Nan, tok Chiang Mai and related toks, hollow silver toks, Chiang Rai toks, pig mouth money, snail money, leaf money (also known as line money), silver flower money (also known as coriander blossom money), horse-hoof money, Shan toks, silver lump money, buffalo dropping toks, kip money and silver wheel money. There are also various unattributed copper-based toks. 

Some of the more sophisticated forms of money, like chiang money (often referred to as kha khim in Thai) bear a legend stating either the full or abbreviated name of the city of issue. To the author's best knowledge, the number of cities which issued chiang money exceeds eighty. Silver bracelet money from Nan was probably privately issued and has some resemblance to chiang money. 

The value of the full unit of chiang money was equal to either four or five Central Thai baht depending on variations of the baht weight standard. Fractions of chiang money exist and some have city names but their status as being officially issued is unclear. (The Evolution of Thai Money, From its Origins in Ancient Kingdoms- Ronachai Krisadaolarn, River Books, B.E. 2559.

The silver "oyster" Chiang Mai tok coinage was cast in the 17th to 18th centuries by the Lanna Kingdom, part of modern Thailand; it is often found with a blackened top with a yellowish brown underside, which is allegedly caused by the chemical reaction of the silver alloy supposedly by mixing with egg yolk or chicken blood during the casting process.