Hamsa and Garuda coins

Lê Khánh Ngọc Anh, Vietnam Numismatics #3 (04-2018), p.9-17

"Chicken coins"

Hamsa and Garuda coins were minted in Cambodia, but are found in large numbers in Vietnam, especially in the provinces of An Giang, Tiền Giang, and others. Collectors commonly call them "chicken coins". There have been different views among Vietnamese coin collectors on how to classify these coins. Some collectors place them in the group of foreign trade coins, while others disagree. However, it is certain that they were once used as a means of payment in some areas that are now part of Vietnam.

Among coin collectors in Vietnam, there is hardly anyone who has not heard of "chicken coins" over the years. This term gives a familiar, friendly, and very everyday feel. So, what are "chicken coins"? Within the scope of this article, we would like to introduce to readers the basic concepts and some typical examples of "chicken coins". This article is translated from the Hamsa and Garuda coins pages on the https://coincoin.com website by Scott Semans, for readers' reference and further discussion. It is intended to help collectors add to and strengthen their basic knowledge of these coins. Scott Semans offers a highly distinctive perspective on both history and collecting. He does not even use the Standard World Coins Catalog, which is widely used by coin collectors. There will still be many different views and debates surrounding this issue. Within the scope of this article, we respectfully ask readers to consider Scott Semans' views and research, while also contributing their own comments and suggestions. This will help us continue to refine and expand the material on the “chicken coins” series in future issues of the magazine.

I. Overview of the historical formation and development of Cambodia in relation to the emergence of chicken coins

1. Period 1600-1870 (under Siamese domination)

[1] {FOOTNOTE}