Siamese gambling token, made of porcelain.
Porcelain tokens were first introduced in Siam for the game of Fantan, in Chinese gambling houses called Hong. Over time, these tokens also began to function as a substitute for money in the neighborhoods of these trading houses' owners. It is estimated that thousands of designs of this type of token were created, in various shapes and with various inscriptions. Sometimes the Hong token issuer would withdraw them, causing them to lose their value. Due to the constant shortage of small cash in Siam, these tokens also served as money in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Diameter 19 mm, weight 2.08 g
