Larin international trade coin of the Arabian seaboards – counterfeit detection

This thread explores the difficult task of segregating genuine Larin coins from counterfeits.

This Persian coin is called a “Larin”. It circulated around the Arabian Sea from the 16th to 18th Century. It was used extensively as standard international currency for trade throughout the old ports.The trade coins were both minted and used by merchants along the seaboards, somewhat regardless of national boundaries.

The name Larin is derived from the Persian town of Lar Iran which may have been the first to produce the coin (Although http://encyclopedia-of-money.blogspot.com/2010/03/larin.html suggests that the coin was never actually minted in Lar) . The plural of Larin is “Lari”.

My new 17th century Larin weighs 4.83 grams. According to Wikipedia, the Larin was traditionally traded at 5.5 Lari to the Spanish colonial piece of eight. Eventually, the Larin lost its position as the area trade coin. The Iranian & Indian currency was eventually unified by the new Rupee denomination and by the 18th Century the Spanish piece of eight ultimately dominated the World as the trade coin.

The shape of the Larin indicates that it could be made at a minimum cost. A drawn wire could be cut to an exact weight with ease and striking was kept simple. The Larin starts its life as a piece of silver wire about 10 centimeters long, usually folded in two equal parts and shaped like a C. There are also lari shaped like a J, an I or an S. Genuine Lari were stamped with an Arabic or Persian text, usually the name of the local ruler. The “I” was apparently most popular among the Arabs and Persians, while the J and S shapes were typical for the island of Ceylon.

The genuine Larin posted here does resemble the letter J and it was recently purchased along with two other examples found in Sri Lanka.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Counterfeit Lari (sometimes called cotter pins or random pieces of scrap metal) have been expertly manufactured and are often found in large quantities. Counterfeit Lari have been found in a variety of countries & World heritage sites. This photo depicts one such archeological site in Lebanon:

(Photo of Lebanon Connecticut archeological site prior to excavation, November 14, 2015)

Many counterfeit Lari have been found on or near the hubs of wheels. This observation has led scholars to believe that counterfeit Larin coins may have been manufactured sometime after the invention of the wheel.

Here we have a close-up photo depicting a fake Larin mounted at the center hub of the Lebanon wheel. This is a perfect example of a modern Larin replica. A genuine Larin is held in the photo for comparison.

There are several features that distinguish the genuine Larin from this fake. Firstly, the genuine Larin coin includes toning where the counterfeit includes rust. The genuine is made of high purity silver wire & counterfeits of this type consist mostly of Iron, Nickel, and Chromium. Also, the genuine coin includes Arabic or Persian text where the counterfeit coin may not. (Be aware that some deceptive cotter pins made in the Middle East may include a part number stamped in Arabic text. This might be confusing to the inexperienced Larin collector. These modern “cotter pin type” replicas are sometimes rusty and should not be confused with genuine Larin coins).

 

dang, you beat me to it ... well done ... I posted a paper-clip

=> cool additions, C89 (you rock a bit, my coin-friend)

 

AncientNoob was fossicking around the Internet & found three nice genuine Lari which we bought together. Difficulty arose when I had to pick one to keep. Some had better lettering & some had more interesting shapes. We were going to flip a coin to make the selection but further research is required before we can flip a Larin. Which side is heads & which is tails?

The information in this thread was mostly gleaned from the following Websites:
https://www.academia.edu/6882687 (Page 155-6)
http://encyclopedia-of-money.blogspot.com/2010/03/larin.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larin_(currency)

Contact Anoob if you have questions about the other two examples. They are also the Ceylon "koku risi" (silver hook) type like mine. However, they include different stamping & different shape. One of them appears like the outline of a ghost which is pretty cool.. The example I’ve kept won’t make it into TIF’s famous “looks like thread”

because it doesn’t look like a cotter pin & we should stick to our 1950’s TV rules.

 

Post your fake Larins folks!

 

Some one got me some years ago with this bent hanger.http://data:image/jpeg;base64,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

 

I see you are expert at segregating genuine Larin coins from the fakes.

 

I think I decided on keep this one, looks legit

 

fake?

 

Thats an original slinky with the box you might have something.

 

Where is @Loong Siew we all fish in the same pond, eh?

 

That is a spooky one (ghost). The photo is perfect.

 

How well does it fit in a 2x2 coin flip?

 

To have a fake one, I first have to have one. Never knew they existed before tonight, but will see if I can research and acquire 1 for my collection now that I know they exist. Are they very expensive? (ie. Over $300 )

 

Some might require a 2x2x2. It is really a ridiculous format in my humble opinion. Imagine having a bag of them in ancient times. They could all get tangled. I suppose that you might clip them onto something like a string or use them as a hair pin. In bulk quantity they might have been difficult to handle. It is hard to imagine that the Larin was used as a trade coin.

 

Sorry.. been AOL and missed this thread

 

CEYLONESE larin were technically all imitative. The originals originate from Persia but for reasons best known to the Kandyan Ceylonese and Maldivians, they like it so much that they adopted it as a popular trade coin. But rather than importing originals from Persia, the locals have adopted a local imitative version by cutting silver threads and applying crude imitative-Persian scripts on them. A Fish hook design became popular in the region not just from a practical point (what I read was that they were hooked on their belts or sashes as opposed to actual purses).. but also being seafaring people and a lot of fishermen (both were Islands by the way), the fish hook desigb may have a special preference to them.

 

If not mistaken, the koku Ridhi (fish hook) designs were indigenous to the Maldives, Ceylon "Kandy" in particular and parts of southern India. Middle Eastern and original Persian Larins have a hairpin design with clearness Persian scripts.

I wouldn't condemn a fish hook Larin by their crude imitative Persian scripts. THE Ceylonese are Buddhist and also some Hindu so it is unsurprising that only a handful during the old times can read Persian.. but if u see gibberish on hairpin larins then I would be very cautious.

 

Wait, I'm confused. The OP wasn't satire? These are real tokens used for payment and trade in non-ancient times?

 

The thread is a bit misleading.. I sense some satirical notes but in essence, these were real genuine trade currencies. .