MS06

Rian LP Ngern 

LP Ngern Phutthachoto · Wat Bang Klan · Phichit
B.E. 2515 (1972)
1.5 Inches 
Mainstream Artifact
Samakom Certification Card (GI06-48E23)

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Individual Craftsmanship

Small differences in striking pressure, metal surface, ageing and preservation naturally distinguish individual medals from this period.

What makes the present example especially attractive is its state of preservation. It remains encased in its old frame from the period, apparently untouched, allowing the medal and its original gold-washed surface to remain exceptionally well protected.

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Personal Experiences Shared by Luksits

The B.E. 2515 LP Ngern series has remained popular with generations of devotees because it combines an important temple occasion, an unusually extensive consecration and the spiritual traditions associated with LP Ngern and Prince Chumphon.

Luksits commonly keep LP Ngern for wealth, stability, protection and smoother livelihood. Experiences are often described through practical changes: business becoming steadier, financial pressure easing, opportunities arriving at the right moment, or assistance appearing when circumstances become difficult.

The reverse image of Prince Chumphon gives this particular Rian another dimension.

My own understanding of this tradition changed after meeting a luksit of LP Pinut who practised old wicha. During our meeting, he demonstrated his practice by causing objects to move and explained that one of the principal wicha traditions he followed had been transmitted through the lineage associated with Prince Chumphon.

That encounter gave me a different appreciation of these medals. To many practitioners, Prince Chumphon's portrait is not treated simply as decoration on the reverse. It represents a respected wicha lineage associated with courage, protection, authority and assistance during difficult circumstances.

This combination is one reason I regard the B.E. 2515 medal as particularly complete: LP Ngern on one side and Prince Chumphon on the other, brought together within one of the most elaborate consecrations connected with Wat Bang Klan.

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Summary

The Rian LP Ngern, Reverse Prince Chumphon, B.E. 2515 was created under Phra Khru Phibun Thamwet, or LP Prueng, then abbot of Wat Bang Klan, formally Wat Hiranyaram.

The project helped raise funds for the construction and restoration of the temple's Ubosot and commemorated an important period in the development of Wat Bang Klan.

The obverse depicts LP Ngern Phutthachoto seated cross-legged, with his name beneath. The reverse carries the half-length portrait of Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, Prince of Chumphon, dressed in formal naval uniform.

This example is the sought-after Pim Niyom, preserved in an old period frame with the medal itself remaining in remarkably complete condition.

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Historical Background

LP Ngern passed away in B.E. 2462 (1919), but devotion to him continued to grow long after his passing. Wat Bang Klan consequently produced later commemorative sacred objects bearing his image, of which the B.E. 2515 seriesbecame one of the best-known.

The series was organised while LP Prueng served as abbot. Its purpose was closely connected with raising support for the temple's new Ubosot and the associated Phuk Phatthasima ceremonies.

Rather than relying upon a single blessing ceremony, the organisers arranged a large multi-stage programme involving sacred metal preparation, consecration in Bangkok and a final ceremony at Wat Bang Klan.

This scale is central to the reputation of the B.E. 2515 series.

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Origins of the Materials

An important feature of the project was the preparation of its sacred metal chanuan.

Copper and brass sheets were distributed to respected monks around Thailand to be inscribed with yantra, sacred characters and katha. These consecrated sheets were subsequently gathered and melted together, creating ritual metal that could be incorporated into the production of the sacred objects.

The metal therefore carried a symbolic connection to numerous masters even before the finished medals entered their later consecration ceremonies.

For this Rian, the principal body is copper with a gold-washed finish, giving the medal its warm golden appearance while retaining copper beneath the surface.

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Ritual

The B.E. 2515 project is remembered particularly for its three-stage consecration.

The first ceremony took place at Wat Suthat in Bangkok, where the prepared sacred metals were blessed by 74 monks before manufacture.

After the sacred objects had been completed, they returned to Wat Suthat for a second major ceremony on 5 December B.E. 2514 (1971). Traditional records associated with the batch state that 127 monks participated.

The final consecration was conducted at Wat Bang Klan on 30 January B.E. 2515 (1972).

Accounts of the ceremony describe 96 monks, arranged into six groups of sixteen, taking turns in continuous chanting from approximately 4 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning.

The ceremony included traditional Phutthaphisek chanting and other sacred recitations before concluding with celebrations and distribution on 31 January.

An unusual detail remembered in accounts of that night is the occurrence of a lunar eclipse while the temple's Ubosot was still under construction. Within the devotional history of the batch, the event became regarded as an especially auspicious feature of an already significant ceremony.

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Blessings and Effects

The front and reverse give this Rian two complementary traditions.

LP Ngern is strongly associated by devotees with wealth, Choke Lap, protection and financial stability. His name itself—Ngern, meaning money—has also contributed to the longstanding popularity of his image among merchants and business owners.

The emphasis is not solely on sudden fortune. Many devotees regard LP Ngern as particularly suitable for keeping wealth, maintaining livelihood and overcoming periods of financial difficulty.

Prince Chumphon contributes themes of courage, authority, discipline, protection and safe passage. His longstanding association with the sea and the Thai naval tradition has also made his image especially meaningful to travellers and those working in demanding environments.

Together, the medal is traditionally regarded as supporting wealth with protection, opportunity with stability, and authority with courage.

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Modern Application

This Rian is particularly well suited to people whose responsibilities involve business, management, negotiation, travel or leadership.

For business owners, LP Ngern represents the wealth and livelihood aspect, while Prince Chumphon adds decisiveness and protection.

For professionals and managers, the combination is traditionally associated with Baramee, authority, respect and support when dealing with difficult people or situations.

It is equally appropriate as an everyday protective Rian for someone who travels frequently or simply wants one traditional piece covering a broad range of purposes.

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Physical Details

An oval die-struck gold-washed copper Rian from B.E. 2515, with LP Ngern shown seated in meditation on the obverse and the inscription “หลวงพ่อเงิน” beneath him. The reverse depicts Prince Chumphon in formal naval uniform with his title around the lower field. This example is the Pim Niyom and retains a strong golden surface with well-defined portrait details. Most importantly, the medal remains within its old period frame, apparently untouched, contributing greatly to both its presentation and preservation.

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Recommended Pairing

This medal already combines wealth, Baramee and protection, making it unusually versatile on its own.

For a stronger commercial arrangement, it can be paired with Nang Kwak for customers and trade, or a Salika-type artifact for speech, negotiation and Metta.

For someone primarily seeking protection, it pairs naturally with Tao Wessuwan, Rahu or a protective Takrut.

It can also be worn alongside a Buddha image or Somdej, creating a balanced arrangement in which the Buddha amulet provides the principal Buddhist foundation while LP Ngern and Prince Chumphon contribute their respective traditions of prosperity, courage and protection.

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Personal Notes

For me, the attraction of this particular example goes beyond the popularity of the B.E. 2515 LP Ngern series.

The medal has survived together with an old frame from its own period and has remained untouched in remarkably complete condition. For an artifact more than half a century old, this kind of preservation gives the piece considerable collector character. The frame itself becomes part of its history rather than merely a modern accessory.

The other reason is the unusual combination of personalities represented on the medal.

LP Ngern has long been one of the names most closely connected by devotees with wealth and protection, while my personal encounter with the luksit practising wicha connected to Prince Chumphon gave me a much deeper appreciation of the reverse.

For those who follow these traditions, this is therefore more than simply a portrait medal. It brings together LP Ngern's lineage of prosperity and protection with the courage, authority and wicha tradition associated with Prince Chumphon—all within the famous three-stage consecration of B.E. 2515.