Auction: 24122 - Spink Numismatic e-Circular 35: Indian and Islamic Coins - e-Auction
Lot: 664
Netherlands East Indies, United East India Company, Batavia, AE ¼-Stuiver, 4.41g, 1644, upright sword of Batavia within circle, legend around: BATAVIA · ANNO · 1644 ·, rev. VOC monogram, value above: ¼ · ST (KM 30; Scholten 19), a pleasingly well-struck example of this very rare one-year type, the obverse very fine, the reverse, although only fine, shows the denomination very clearly
Provenance
A Gentleman's Collection of Sri Lankan Coins
This very short-lived emergency coinage was authorised by a Placard of 19 August 1644. It gave 'the Chinaman called CONJOK' the right to produce a certain number of Half and Quarter Stivers. Scholten tells us that this was to redress the shortage of small change in Banda, Malacca and Ceylon as well as Batavia itself. A prohibition was issued by the Dutch East India Company later that year, so it appears these coins were only struck for a few months. It is not known how many were struck, but the Quarter-Stivers are certainly far rarer than the Half-Stivers today.
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Estimate
Starting price
£210