One-sik coin

1 sik
Thailand
Value1/16 Thai baht
Mass(1860) 0.92 g
(1860-1874) 7.69 g
(1874-1888) 23 g
Diameter(1860) 13.0 mm
(1860-1874) 30mm
(1874-1888) 38.5 mm
EdgeSmooth
Composition(1860) silver
(1862) brass
(1860-1876) copper
Years of minting1860-1876
Obverse
Design date1876
Reverse
Design date1876

The sik coin (Thai: สิ้ก or ซีก) piece, or the four at coin was a fractional-denomination coin used in the traditional pre-decimal currency system of Siam (modern-day Thailand). The sik represented a value of 1⁄16 of a baht, equivalent to 1⁄2 of a fuang or 2 siao /2 pai. Positioned between the fuang and siao denominations, the sik coin formed an important intermediate unit within the non-decimal baht system used before the monetary reforms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[1][2]

Early sik coins were issued in the characteristic podduang (bullet-money) form, cast or hammered into pod-shaped lumps of silver or gold[3]. During later reforms under Kings Rama IV and Rama V, sik coins transitioned into modern flat, struck silver or copper-alloy coins, aligning Siamese currency with international minting standards. The denomination became obsolete following the adoption of the decimal baht–satang system, which replaced all traditional subunits including the sik.[4]

The sik coin of the 1876 series was the largest circulating coin ever produced[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "½ Fuang - Rama IV, Thailand". en.numista.com. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  2. ^ "Thailand 1/2 Fuang Y 2 Prices & Values | NGC". www.ngccoin.com. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  3. ^ "½ Fuaeng - Rama IV, Thailand". en.numista.com. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  4. ^ LeMay J. Coinage of Siam. JSS 018_3b. The Siam Society; 2020. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JSS_018_3b_LeMay_CoinageOfSiam.pdf
  5. ^ "1 Sik / ½ Fuang - Rama V, Thailand". en.numista.com. Retrieved 2025-12-10.