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The half cent coin was the second smallest denomination of the Sarawak dollar. James Brooke, whose head appears on the obverse of this coin, became Rajah of Sarawak in 1842 after receiving the land and title from the Sultan of Brunei. In 1863, through his British agents Buchanan, Hamilton & Co. he arranged for copper coins with the denominations of 1/4, 1/2 and 1 Cent to be struck in Birmingham. This was the only issue in his name. The Spanish dollar was the principal silver coin of the region at the time and the copper coins were fractions of it. The artist was Joseph Moore of Allan and Moore, Great Britain. Coins issued in 1863 circulated for 79 years until the Japanese occupation forces replaced them with their own invasion currency in 1942. After the war, Sarawak did not regain independence and eventually became one of the states forming the Federation of Malaysia. The artist was Joseph Moore of Allan and Moore, Great Britain. | ||||||
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Variety | Proof | |
---|---|---|
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | Bronze-plated proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Material | Bronze-plated copper | |
Details | Proof, bronze-plated copper. |
Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atkins, Coins and Tokens of the British Empire | 1889 | Coin description | ||
Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Coin description | link | |
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mint | ||
Atkins, Coins and Tokens of the British Empire | 1889 | Varieties | Proof | |
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Varieties | Proof | |
Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei | 1986 | Varieties | Proof, Bronze-plated proof | |
Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Design | link |
Coin Name | Mintage | Effigy | Legend |
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Half Cent 1863 | unknown | James Brooke by Joseph Moore | J. BROOKE RAJAH |
Half Cent 1870 | 250,000 | Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak | C. BROOKE RAJAH |
Half Cent 1879 | 250,000 | Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak | C. BROOKE RAJAH |
Half Cent 1896 | 326,667 | Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak | C. BROOKE RAJAH |
Half Cent 1933 | 2,000,000 | Charles Vyner Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak | C.V. BROOKE RAJAH |
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Country | Sarawak |
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Currency | Sarawak Dollar |
Coin Type | Half Cent (Large) |
Issued | 1863 |
Monarch | James Brooke, Rajah |
Effigy | James Brooke by Joseph Moore |
Face Value | 1/2 (x Cent) |
Total Mintage | unknown |
Current | No; demonetised 1953 |
Material | Copper |
Designer | Joseph Moore |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Orientation | Medal Alignment (Axis 0) |
Size | 22.5000 mm |
Mass | 4.6530 g |
OCC ID | DBYN-KODD-CYGJ-OPQM |
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A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026 |
Image | Details |
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Coin - 1/2 Cent, Sarawak, 1863
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Jennifer McNair Notes: This piece may be a cast copy. Source |
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Coin - 1/2 Cent, Sarawak, 1863
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Jennifer McNair Notes: This piece may be a cast copy. Source |
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Bronze 1/2 cent, SE Asia, 1863
Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC Source |
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Bronze 1/2 cent, SE Asia, 1863
Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC Source |
Source | Reference ID |
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Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei | Sarawak SS 5 |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Sarawak KM# 2, 2a (Bronze-plated proof) |