Keping, Coin Type from Sarawak - detailed information

Keping, Coin Type from Sarawak (issued 1842 - 1842)
Coin TypeKeping

This is a one year type. The 1842 Keping is a very rare coin and is usually found in "very good" to "fine" condition. Many modern counterfeits exist, both in copper and in brass.

The coin was authorised by the Rajah, James Brooke, in 1842. According to Remick's "Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins 1649 - 1971", these coins were minted at "a private mint in Birmingham" which was not the Heaton and Sons Mint.

Some were made in copper and some in brass. Most coins were copper.

In older sources, the name of the denomination may be spelled as "kapang" or "kepang".

Obverse

The obverse bears the image of a badger (or "brock") which was the crest of the Brooke Arms, turned to left; the initials J · B and the date SEPT 24 1841 (when James Brook was granted the title Rajah of Sarawak, though the official declaration to that effect only came on 18 August 1842).

Obverse Inscription J · B SEPT 24 1841
Reverse

The reverse was struck from an old and worn out die bearing the denomination "Satu Keping" in Malay (one keping) and the date 1247AH (=1831), both in Arabic script. This die had been used earlier in the striking of Singapore merchant tokens.

Reverse Inscription
EdgePlainEdge InscriptionNone
Notes

References to additional information:

[Book] Saran, Singh. The Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, 1400-1967. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysia Numismatic Society, 1986. pp 351-372.
[Book] Kavanagh, Kevin F. 1969. The Coins of Malaysia, pp 65-73
[Book] Remick, Jerome. 1971. British Commonwealth Coins, pp 489-492

Coin Type: Keping - (1) Coins
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Keping: Details
CountrySarawak
CurrencySarawak Dollar
From1842
To1842
Face Value1 (x Keping)
CurrentNo (demonetised 1863)
MaterialCopper or Bronze
Designer
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
Size21.5000 mm
Mass1.7500 g
Keping: Photos
ImageDetails
Keping: Photo Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841 Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841
Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC
Source
Keping: Photo Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841 Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841
Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC
Source