Gasing Spinning-Top Malaysia 5 Sen Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making

"Gasing" Spinning-Top & Hibiscus Malaysia 5 Sen Authentic Coin Charm for Jewelry and Craft Making

Obverse
Value divides date below a Hibiscus flower blossom (Binomial name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), the national flower of Malaysia

Lettering: BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA
Translation: Malaysian National Bank

Reverse: "Gasing" spinning top with its string

Features
Issuer Malaysia
Period Federal elective constitutional monarchy (1963-date)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 1989-2011
Value 5 Sen (0.05 MYR)
Currency Ringgit (1967-date)
Composition Copper-nickel
Weight 1.41 g
Diameter 16.25 mm
Thickness 1.04 mm
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized Yes
Number N# 1659
References KM# 50, Schön# 92

"Gasing" is a giant spinning top that weighs approximately 5kg or 10lbs and may be large as dinner plate. The game usually played traditionally before the rice harvest season. The player requires strengths, co-ordination and skill to play this game. The top is set spinning by unfolding rope that has been wound around it. Then, it is scooped off the ground, whilst still spinning, using bat with a centre slit and transferred onto a low post with a mental receptacle. If the expertly hurled, it can spin for up to 2 hours.

Gasing or top spinning is split into two (2) categories. One is for ornamental purposes and while the other is for playing.

Equipment Needed
The gasing or top usually made of wood or hard fruits. It comes together with string that was tightly wound round a nail at the base of the top. There are five different shapes of tops; 1)plate-shaped, 2)heart-shaped, 3) hat top, 4) egg-shaped and 4) berembang-shaped. Berembang is a fruit of a seaside tree.

Method of Playing Gasing
There is no fixed number of players and the game can be played either teams or individually. Firstly, a circle is drawn on the ground marking a circumstance within the top is to spin. Then, a player holds the top in his hand and grips the loose end of the string between the fingers and throws it in the circle while at the same time pulls the string backwards that sends the top into a spinning action.

Sparring Contest
A Gasing or top spinning contest basically a friendly games where normally it have two (2) kinds of matches.

The first is the "spinning contest" and the second one is called the "striking match". The "Spinning contest", is where someone that can spin his top for the longest time wins the match. Once the top has been launched, the top is carefully scooped off the ground using a thin wooden bat. Then, it will be transferred to a little wooden surface and left to spin for as long as possible. The trick here is to ensure that the top doesn't topple during the transit. Tough it may seem unbelievably so, the current record stands at two hours.

The "striking match" is far more exhilarating than the first. You won't need to stand there for hours watching a top spin and spin and spin. The "striking match" is as the name suggests. Each contestant must try to hit their opponent's tops so that the already spinning tops will topple and loses its balance and speed.

http://traditionalgamesinmalaysia.blogspot.com/p/types-of-games.html

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Wikipedia on Hibiscus:
The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal, India, often with the goddess and the flower merging in form. The hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.

In the Philippines, the gumamela (local name for hibiscus) is used by children as part of a bubble-making pastime. The flowers and leaves are crushed until the sticky juices come out. Hollow papaya stalks are then dipped into this and used as straws for blowing bubbles. Together with soap, hibiscus juices produce more bubbles. Also called "Tarukanga" in waray particularly in eastern samar province.

The hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian and Hawaiian girls. If the flower is worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or has a boyfriend. If the flower is worn on the right, she is single or openly available for a relationship.

...The hibiscus is a national symbol of Haiti, and the national flower of nations including the Solomon Islands and Niue. Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia. Hibiscus brackenridgei is the state flower of Hawaii.