From the history of 7 voyages of Admiral Zheng He to “ Western Ocean”, that is:-

1) 1405 July 11, Yong-lok Year 3-5
2) 1407-1409 Yong-lok Year 5-7
3) 1409-1411 Yong-lok Year 7-9
4) 1413-1415 Yong-lok Year 11-13
5) 1417-1419 Yong-lok Year 15-17
6) 1421-1422 Yong-lok Year 19-20
7) 1431-1433 Zhen-tek Year 6

We can only find that, based upon the official record of China archive, treasure fleet of Zheng He only visited Malacca 3 times……what Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) related and other documentary reported, still full of legendary way to talk about Bukit China, Zheng He Temple, Perigi Hang Li Po….as picture of Zheng He in China, are shown totally different from one province to other province, many different story related to us…no proper record of Zheng He….this is what we experience in 2003-04, when we visited all historical sites and places of Zheng He in over 45 days…in 3 trips we made, with officials and experts from People’s Bank of China and Zheng He Society of Nanking, Yunnan, Beijing, Tai-chang, Chang-lok, Chuan-chew…!.

What were the important items brought into Malacca at that time by Zheng He royal entourage…..besides common commodities and trading goods, what kind of currency they used and circulated in Malacca, or in other region of Nusanatara (Nanyang) they visited......gold or silver or copper…? As we never see any tin minted money or coins be used in China…..why tin money of Malacca, mostly are tin minted….?

What shocking us is the workmanship and aesthetically designed animal shape, calligraphy of Chinese, Song Dynasty and religious totem of Taoism and Buddhism….are those questions can’t be answered since Day-1 we studied. We still need a lot of further academic research and archaeological study be conducted. Jointly with China, with PERZIM-Melaka, Muzium Negara-Malaysia and other interested parties in this tin money of Melaka, individual collectors, dealers and Numismatic Society of Malaysia.

We doubt those comments of “Tin coins are replicated or duplicated in Malaysia”, but, from the costing and market value, number of tin coins circulated in market, its techniques and texture of Weathering, Oxidization, Erosion, are the illogical and insensible for anyone to do so…..animal money are still highly demanded in market, very limited circulation, and seldom seen to be displayed in any antiques shops in Jalan Hang Jebat (Antiques Street of Melaka , Helen Street formally known) or Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, from our Museum surveyed since 2001 to June 2005.

Why some tin money minted with Chinese characters, China fortune and lucky symbols, like, rooster, fish, tortoise, chicken, crocodile, some attached with Buddhism lotus and Taoism religious totem…not less with Hinduism and Islamic cultural influence…is quite mixed with combination of various primitive totems.