Coinage of the straits settlements
Private
Updated:
10/29/2025
Views: 323
Straits settlements coinage was minted from 1845 to 1935, during this time, there were three monarchs during this period. Queen Victoria, King Edward and King George the fifth, there were eight different denominations, 1/4 cent, 1/2 cent, 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent. 1 dollar.
In 1871, 5 cents, 10 cent and 20 cents denominations were released, In 1872, 1/4 cents, 1 cent, and 1/2 cents. In 1886, the 50 cent was released, and lastly, in 1903 the dollar was released. Straits settlements coinage were sometimes minted in the Heaton mint too.
The Straits Settlements originally was comprised of the four individual settlements of Penang, Singapore, Malacca and Dinding. The rarer straits settlements pieces usually stem from the Victorian age, this is because during the victorian age, there were many dates with low mintages, the reasons are because there were a lot of key dates because there were changes in the metal, first year issues or that most of them were just destroyed.
the most common currency used in the East Indies was the Spanish dollar, including issues both from Spain and from the new world Spanish colonies. Locally issued coinages included the Kelantan and Trengganu Keping, the Penang dollar, the Penang dollar had two official different series, the Balemark series by the East India Company, which spanned from 1786-1809. The second series was the coat of arms series which was also issued by the East India Company, which spanned 1810-1828, overall the Penang series lasted from 1786-1828 not including the miscellaneous tokens, which are mostly without a date. the Penang series has a lot of different denominations.
In 1786, the first Penang coinage was issued, it was a mule or a pattern with a diameter of 37mm and a thickness of 2mm that weight 19.5 grammes, it was made out of tin an it was a uniface coin, the other one was a one cent (Pice). It was also a pattern made out of copper with a diameter of 29mm, the unique thing is there was an edge clip on all of the examples. Lastly, there was a one cent that was also uniface that had a diameter of 29mm and it was made out of copper. In 1787, the 1/4 cent, 1/2 cent and one cent( diameter of 20mm), these were all made out of copper. In 1788, the 1/10 dollar, 1/4 dollar, 1/2 dollar which had two verities made, they were all made out of silver. there were also some incredibly rare Penang pieces too, for example the no date (1800-1804) 1 cent, GL( Governor Leigh) with a diameter of 45mm made out of tin, only a few specimens known to exist. Another one is the also no date 1 cent, GF ( Governor Farquhar) with a diameter of 44mm. The next to have dates mentioned. First, is the 1809 1 cent A & C ( Anderso & Clubley) with a diameter from 42mm to 44mm. second is the 1809 1 cent which similar to he A & C one but has a slightly different design.
Now we move one to series two, the coat of arms series, first we have to patterns from 1810, both of which are one pice coins, firstly is the copper pattern by Thomas Wyon with a diameter of 28mm which is only was only made in the proof finish. secondly before we hit the circulation strikes, is also a copper pattern by Louis Pingo with a diameter of 28mm. The half pice was issued in the year 1810, 1825 and 1828, while the one cent was also issued in the same years, lastly the two cents( double pice) which was issued in 1825 and 1828, all these were made out of copper.
Next we move on to Malacca, there are three main eras that exist, the sultanate, the Portuguese colonization and the dutch colonization. First, is the sultanate era, with all denominations just being half Pitis and Pitis thought out the rulers, the sultanate era spanned 111 years from 1400-1511, next was the Portuguese colonization, which lasted for 130 years from 1511-1641, there was a Catolico and a half Catolico which was made out of gold, there was also a Malaquez which was crafted out of silver, there were also many issues of Bastardos, all Bastardos were made out of tin, with different weights throughout the series, there was also a Soldo that was made out of tin with also different weights with every type, Then we have the Dinheiro it was made out of tin and again had different weights with each release, we also have more gold coinage called Escudo De Sao-Tome or Double Sao-Tome and a Pardau Sao-Tome, we also got silver coinage called Patacao amd another issue of Bastardo but this time it had a shield on the obverse and a soldo with minor differences with the other issues, but there was also a new issue also with a shield on the obverse. There was also a Dinheiro with minor differences too, now moving on to the next rulers coinage, is Xerafin made of silver 916.60 and 714.30. Next, is more Bastardos but now on the reverse it has a S B followed with a X with a stick going through it. Now there was a new denomination called the half Bastardo. The Soldos also followed the same new design on the reverse with a double arrow design along 4 dots at the positions east, south, west and north, there was also a B A Soldo, the Dinheiro also changed to a B A design with also a shield version existing with many weight variations for both varieties. Then we have a half tanga from D.King Dom Felipe II, followed with a tanga, both pieces were made out of silver, there was also a Quadruple Tanga made out of silver, there was also a double tanga with again many weight and minor design variations with these four denominations of half tanga, tanga, double tanga, quadruple tanga. Then we have one more gold issue, it was the half Sao-Tome.
Finally, we move on to the dutch occupation of Malacca which lasted from 1641-1795 and 1818-1825. There were multiple provinces. First up, we have the Half doit from Holland,Zeeland, West Friesland, Gelderland and Utrecht. With differences on the obverse and slight differences on the reverse between the provinces. There was also one doits, from all the provinces adding West Gelderland. With again differences on the obverse and reverse separating the others from each other. All half doit and doit are made of copper.Then we have the half Guilder or ten stivers. With all the provinces making them except Holland and West Gelderland. Then we have one Guilder from all provinces accept Holland and West Gelderland. Then we have three Guilders again excluding west Gelderland and Holland. All Guilders of any denomination was made out of different purities of silver. Next we have Ducatoons which hade all provinces exclusing West Gelderland and adding a new province called Overyssel. All Ducatoons were made out of silver 0941. Next we have coins struck at Batavia for the east india company 1602-1799 for use in the Netherlands east indies, first we have one doit or Duyt Javas from 1764, 1765 and 1783 with 1783 having a slightly different design on the obverse and the reverse. Then we have one doit N and one doit B with the earlier three dates being made out of copper and the N and B ones being made out of tin with the B version being extremely scarce and hard to find. Next we have Quarter Stiver and a Half Stiver both made out of copper and only being made in the year of 1644. Then, we have Bonk one stiver and the Bonk two stiver, they were made out of copper in several years from 1796-1799 for the both, they sported and odd rectangular shape. Next, we have Batavia quarter, half and full crowns, being made out of 999 silver all three of these coins were made in 1645, next we have Java Rupee made out of silver 0951 from 1747-1750, there was also a a double rupee made of silver. Then we have the Java rupee but this time the silver used was of a lower purity with there being 0832 and 0792 silver used, the 0832 was used from 1764-1788 and the other 0792 was used from 1794-1799 but there were also some dates skipped in the series. Now we have some issues that are made of gold, there was the Java Half Rupee, Java Rupee, Java Ducat, Java Double Ducat and Ducat. All the Java versions were also made in several dates with the purity of gold for the half and full Rupees being 0792 and the Ducats being 0833. The regular Ducat was made in Holland, Utrecht, Zeeland and West Friesland all being made out of 0986 gold. Then we also have Japanese Ichi-Bu rectangular gold and a Koban oval shaped gold. Now, we have coins struck in the Netherlands. There were two 1/32 Guilders or Half Doit from Holland, there was one from the Batavian Republic and one from Netherlands under French rule, they were both made out of copper and struck in several dates with only the dates being different as 1807- 1809 was under French rule and 1802-1803 being struck in Enkhuizen and 1804 1806 being struck in Hoorn with the 1807-1809 also being struck in Hoorn. Next there was two one doits made of copper coming from the provinces of Holland and Gelderland. They both sported the infamous VOC one the reverse. There was also another two one doits from Holland but one id ( Batavian Republic)before french rule and one after, it also happened to the province of Overyssel,with all four pieces being made out of copper in several dates. Then we have some silver issues, there were one sixteenth guilder, one eighth guilder, one quarter guilder, half guilder and guilder, there two issues of the one sixteenth and the one eighth with the only difference is there is no circle surrounding the shield on the reverse there were all made of 916 silver, this series is also known as the ship series as there is a ship on the obverse. Then we again have a one stiver made out of lead/bronze it has an inscription on the obverse (JAVA) followed by the date on the bottom. Then we move on to Bonks, the denominations include Half Stiver, one Stiver, two Stiver and eight Stiver with the single stiver having three different types of varieties, and the double also having two different varieties. All of them were made out of a lump of copper while the eight stiver was made of a copper ingot, Then we have more silver issues, there was the denominations of a half rupee, a one rupee, all of them were made out of 0792 silver, there were three variations of the one rupee with dates and changes separating them from being identical, now we move on to gold issues with two half rupees made out of gold 750 with slightly different designs on the obverse and the reverse. Now we move on to coinage struck in Surabaya, with there being four different Java Doit with there two of them were L N versions, with different versions of the coins on the obverse and the reverse, and the other two versions had a different design on both the obverse and the reverse. There was also two different Half Stiver varieties with different designs on the obverse and the reverse. Lastly there was a One stiver, all doits and stivers were made of copper. The inscription L N means Louis Napoleon. Now we move back to the Netherlands. There were 1/32 stivers or half doit, there were two varieties with the initials, with it being the same with the one doit. There was also a quarter stiver or one doit. Lastly is a half stiver. All stivers and guilders were made of copper. Lastly is a one guilder with the bust of King William I on the obverse. Now we move back to Surabaya, with the denominations of 1/32 guilders and 1/16 guilders being made out of copper in several different dates, there was also a half stiver made of Copper, Lastly, are bonks, there are half bonks, bonks and double bonks. All were made out of copper lumps. Now we move on to the British colonizations from 1795-1818 and 1825 a 1957 before the independence of Malaysia.
Lastly, we move on to Singaporean merchant tokens, there are five distinct series’s of Singaporean merchant tokens , the first series is the east india company series, there are three denominations, the one Keping, the two Keping and the four Keping, all denominations were only produced for one year, 1804, but each denominations had two different varieties, the thick flan and the thin flan, all denominations were made out of copper. Next is the Island of Sumatra series, there was only one denomination, the one Keping, with all three varieties being made of copper and in the year of 1804, with the writing on all three reverses featuring different scripts. Next is the Island of Sultana series, which again has only one denomination, the one Keping, they were made of copper and was made in 1804 and 1835 with three varieties each, the first two 1804 varieties just had different words on the reverse, but the third variety had a flower pattern on the reverse, but in 1835, the obverse had changed from two lions or tigers, to two horses with all three varieties having different lettering one the obverse.
Next is the Fighting cock series( duit ayam), the first token is a cent or a susu, it was made out of copper and had two different varieties, a 1804 heavy issue weighing in at 180gs and a light issue weighing in at 97gs, then we have a two Keping, it was made out of copper in 1831, then we have 16 variants of one Keping, they were all made out of copper, they were released in1804,1831,1831/32,1990/91,1825,1834/35,1735, they either had different wording or some with flowers on the reverse, plus a some with different obverses.
Lastly is the native states tokens, there was two one Keping and a two Keping from pulau percha that was made out of copper, the single Keping were both released in 1835/36 with just a different design,and the double keping from 1831/32, next is negri Archeh, which also had a one Keping and two Keping made in 1831/32 for the single and the two keping made in 1835/36 with only proof issues being made, next is negri Tarumon with two dates of two Keping being made, one is 1831/32 and 1835/36, next is Menangkabau with two dates of two Keping being made one in 1831/32 with only proof issues being produced and 1835/36 with a standard finish, there is also a one Keping released in 1835/36, all of them were made out of copper in the year 1835/36, there are the states of negri Dilli, negri Siak, Tanah Melayu, negri Perak, negri Selangor and negri Terengganu, next is a 1834/35 from Celebes, it is a one doit made of copper. Lastly, is a Maung Thai no value stated made out of copper, there is. Two varieties made, one has an elephant and the other has a a flower.
This is an exquisite and amazing collection of straits settlements ranging from the era of Queen Victoria all the way to King George the sixth, it is truly a one of a kind and perfect example of a Straits Settlements collection!
Read more...
Coinage of the straits settlements
By JAY CHIN
Owner Comments:
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The NGC Registry is not endorsed by or associated with PCGS or CAC. PCGS is a registered trademark of Collectors Universe, Inc. CAC is a trademark of Certified Acceptance Corporation.
Add Coin
Join NGC for free to add coins, track your collection and participate in the NGC Registry. Learn more >
Join NGC
Already a member? Sign In
The NGC Registry is not endorsed by or associated with PCGS or CAC. PCGS is a registered trademark of Collectors Universe, Inc. CAC is a trademark of Certified Acceptance Corporation.
There is never any charge to contact us. To reach a customer service representative, call, text or WhatsApp (+1) 855-472-3310 or use this form.
