Second dha silver handle

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Looks amazing. I love it when a gamble pays off. The coin is a good clue on origin and age, try to ID it. I've been able to ID coins, even those with very little remaining features, using this site https://en.numista.com/.

Hi JeffS
Thanks for the numista tip, tried but didn't find anything similar.
Regars
Marc

[Sajen]

Hi Marc,

Sorry for my late reply! Your dha/daab is a Siam/Thai daab. The inscription on the coin is Thai, there is also a date visible.

Date on coin: ๑๒๔๔ (1244: Chula Sakarat) = 1882 (Gregorian calendar).
The Chula Sakarat calendar was used in Siam during 1835-1887.

It's a very nice sword, if you ever get bored by it, please let me know!

Best regards,
Detlef

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hi Marc,

Sorry for my late reply! Your dha/daab is a Siam/Thai daab. The inscription on the coin is Thai, there is also a date visible.

Date on coin: ๑๒๔๔ (1244: Chula Sakarat) = 1882 (Gregorian calendar).
The Chula Sakarat calendar was used in Siam during 1835-1887.

It's a very nice sword, if you ever get bored by it, please let me know!

Best regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef
Wonderful that you can tell that from the small piece of text on the coin. The dha was a guess given the rusted state but a good guess.
Regards
Marc

[Marc M.]

Thai coin.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Marc M.

Thai coin.

I would just keep in mind the date on the coin is not necessarily the date of the sword but it seems very likely it falls into the 1880s. A good buy!

[Marc M.]

Originally Posted by Iain

I would just keep in mind the date on the coin is not necessarily the date of the sword but it seems very likely it falls into the 1880s. A good buy!

Hi Iain Yes, a coin with date is an indication of a period which the object could have been made, but can vary by several decades. Coins are often used as decoration on weapons, scabbards and belts in many cultures, is this common in South East Asia , specifically dha's?
Regards
Marc

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Marc M.

Hi Iain Yes, a coin with date is an indication of a period which the object could have been made, but can vary by several decades. Coins are often used as decoration on weapons, scabbards and belts in many cultures, is this common in South East Asia , specifically dha's?
Regards
Marc

That's a good question Marc and I am by no means that experienced with coins on dha, having had only a few pass through my hands. I think they all need to be looked at in context, for example a coin as a pommel cap has perhaps a higher likelihood to be a replacement for a lost pommel than an example like yours where the coin is used as a guard and is integral to the whole sword.

That's why I mentioned that I think you can be pretty safe in saying your sword is from the 1880s and could well be from the exact year of the coin.

In general I think that coins on dha can often have a amulet/talisman meaning. In Thai amulets you see a lot of medallions, special coins etc. Again, its a very specialist area that I can't claim any deep knowledge around, but in the case of your sword it should make for a very interesting research project! The silver wire/fittings on yours is also a good indication it was an important sword for the owner, I think you have a pretty special piece.