Page:Origin of metallic currency and weight standards.djvu/176

 Cambodia. Money system.

60 cash or sapecs of zinc = 1 tien. 10 tien            = 1 string. 10 strings                = 1 nên or bar of silver (90 francs).

The nên is an ingot of silver of parallelopiped form, which is invariably worth 100 strings of zinc cash. This nên is subdivided for money of account as follows:

1 nên (375 grammes) = 10 denh. 1 denh             = 10 chi. 1 chi              = 10 hun. 1 hun              = 10 li.

They employ a coin of silver called a prac-bat or preasat, worth 4 strings or 1/25 nên.

The Mexican piastre, which circulates also, is worth on the average about 6 strings of cash.

1 gold ingot = 16 nêns of silver.

The half ingot of gold is also used = 8 ingots of silver.

The unit of commercial or avoirdupois weight is the catty (called by the Cambodians the neal) or pound.

1 néal (catty) (600 grammes) = 16 tomlongs or taels (ounces). 1 tomlong (37·5 grammes)    = 10 chi (of 3·75 grammes). 1 chi                       = 10 hun.

The preceding weights are plainly borrowed from the Chinese, whilst the following are regarded as native in origin.

1 pey  = 0·292 grammes. 4 pey  = 1 fuong (1·174 grammes). 2 fuong = 1 slong (2·344 grammes). 4 slong = 1 bat (9·375 grammes). 4 bat  = 1 tomlong (37·5 grammes).

For heavy merchandise they employ the hap or picul.

There are three varieties of picul: (1) that of the weight of 40 strings of cash (= 100 catties), (2) that of 42 strings, (3) that of 45 strings.