Keping 1842, Coin from Sarawak

Keping 1842, Coin from Sarawak (demonetised 1863)

Coin	Keping 1842

This is a one year type. The 1842 Keping is a very rare coin and is usually found in "very good" to "fine" condition (in other words, very worn). 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".

Mint	unknown	Total Mintage	unknown , Rarity: R2 (Very Rare)

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 value و / ١ and denomination سات کڤڠ "Satu Keping" in Malay written in Jawi script (translation: one keping) and the (wrong) date ۱۲۴۷ in Arabic numerals (1247 AH =1831 CE).

This die had been used earlier in the striking of Singapore merchant tokens and was re-used for the striking of this coin.

Reverse Inscription	سات کڤڠ ۱۲۴۷

Edge	Plain	Edge Inscription	None

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 352 and 359.

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Keping 1842: Known varieties

Variety	Brass
Mintage	Issued: unknown (included in total). Rarity: R3 (Extremely Rare)

Keping 1842: References to Information Used

Source	Edition	About	Link	Notes
Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei	1986	Coin description

All (1) coins of type: Keping

Coin Name	Mintage	Effigy	Legend
Keping 1842	unknown		J · B SEPT 24 1841

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Keping 1842: Details

Country	Sarawak
Currency	Sarawak Dollar
Coin Type	Keping
Issued	1842
Monarch	James Brooke, Rajah
Face Value	1 (x Keping)
Total Mintage	unknown, Rarity: R2 (Very Rare)
Current	No; demonetised 1863
Material	Copper or Bronze
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Size	21.5000 mm
Mass	1.7500 g
OCC ID	GRNA-ZOGW-CMBA-OXJL

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Keping 1842: Photos

Image	Details
	SARAWAK, token coinage, keping in copper, 1841 (KM.Tn1) Copyright: Noble Numismatics Source
	SARAWAK, token coinage, keping in copper, 1841 (KM.Tn1) Copyright: Noble Numismatics Source
	Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841 Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC Source
	Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841 Copyright: American Numismatic Society / CC BY NC Source

Keping 1842: Catalogue Reference IDs

Source	Reference ID
Encyclopaedia of the Coins of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei	Sarawak SS 1
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	Sarawak KM# Tn1 and Tn1a (Brass)

Relevant Links

Sarawak Keping KM# Tn1 Prices and Values - NGC

1 Keping - James Brooke Rajah - Numista

American Numismatic Society: Bronze kepang, SE Asia, 1841

Keping 1842, Coin from Sarawak - detailed information