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Auction: 9019 - Banknotes & Coins of South East Asia, Featuring the Bill Christensen Sarawak Collection of Banknotes & Coins
Lot: 148

James Brooke (1841-68), Keping (1842), badger left, J.B and sept. 24 1841 below, rev. Malay inscription giving value and AH date 1247 (KM.Tn1; Prid.30; Scholten 1006), good very fine, rare thus Estimate S$ 5,000-8,000 Struck in Birmingham, these coins were given legal status by Brooke in 1842 and circulated as 1-Duit. The date on the obverse refers to the date James Brooke became Rajah. The badger or brock is from his family crest. Most examples have a small flaw on the 4 of the date. The coin is usually called a Keping. The manufacturer used an old die used for Singapore Merchant Tokens, hence the Malay inscription on the reverse giving this denomination and the unrelated date AH 1247 which commenced in June 1831. These tokens are very rare in very fine condition. The Remick example (Spink auction 184, 18 October 2006, lot 402), which had a small flaw below the badger´´s head but otherwise was in similar grade to this piece, sold for £4, 830.

Sold for
SG$5,500