First-Edition Medal of Luang Pho Nueang, Wat Chulamanee, B.E. 2511 (1968)

The first-edition medal of Luang Pho Nueang Kowitho, a former abbot of Wat Chulamanee, was made in the Buddhist year B.E. 2511 (1968 CE) in a total of around 50,000 pieces. It is a medal that Luang Pho Nueang graciously inscribed by his own hand, and it carries a story of several styles of stamped code mark that his disciples often ask about.

The Three Styles of Stamped Code Mark

Luang Pho Nueang had the disciples who were helping him at the time stamp the code marks onto the medals, divided into three styles in order of time.

• The "no nu" code above the head — this was the first set to be stamped and then released for veneration, stamped above the head of Luang Pho Nueang's image, about 5,000 medals. Most of them bear inscription marks (both from the inscribing stylus and from pencil). In those days disciples liked to polish the surface to show off the beauty of the gold tone, so a medal still in its original condition is very hard to find.

• The "na" code on the saṅghāṭi — later, when Luang Pho had inscribed a great many medals, the inscription marks would often run into the "no nu" code above the head, so he switched to stamping the letter "na" (in Khmer script) on the saṅghāṭi instead. This style is the most numerous, nearly 40,000 medals.

• The "no nu" code beside the ear — about 2,000 medals that Luang Pho Nueang kept in a safe. Before his passing away (around B.E. 2530 / 1987), he instructed Luang Pho Itthi (who was then still an ordinary resident monk) to bring out the "no nu" code he had kept and stamp them, stamping it beside the ear above the right shoulder of the medal so as to distinguish them from the earlier set. The surface of this set was not given a surface lacquer coating, so the color comes out dark and matte, and they were placed in newly commissioned boxes.

A Record of the Inscribing and the Surface Coating

The first two styles of medal were inscribed by Luang Pho Nueang himself in the night-time of every day, only a few dozen medals a day. Once an inscription was finished, he would apply a liquid to coat the surface of the medal. For this reason, although this set is old, it still retains the gloss of the coating liquid. In addition, some of the first-edition medals (both those already stamped with a code and those not yet stamped) were further taken by the temple to be enamelled for giving away at the Kathin ceremony, made into gilt (gold-plated) pieces to give to the cooks who came to help with the work, and presented to other temples as he saw fit.

Note: This content has been compiled from a recorded article of Wat Chulamanee (compiled by Ko Mae Klong) in order to record the history of this edition of the medal. It is in no way intended for any purpose of buying or selling.