Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra85861922roya).pdf/185

 copper coinage of the Straits Settlements are current as well as the local pewter coinage) a new issue of coinage became urgently necessary. There was no time to order a new "die" from Europe and the old die (modified slightly on the Obverse) was used.

(b) The modification consists in the addition (cut into the old die) of the diamond shaped figure surrounding and the two stars flanking the figure 1." The old Hegira date 1325 (i.e. 1906-7) is retained though the coins were issued only in 1920: so too are the initials of the Sultan who died in 1918.

(c) The main reason why any modification was really necessary was because owing to the high price of tin these "white" or pewter cents were issued as equal to Straits Settlements copper or "red" cents whereas 400 of the old Trengganu cents only equalled in value 300 Straits copper cents.

(d) The alloy was prepared by the great Tin Smelting Company of Singapore, the Straits Trading Coy., Ltd. and is noticeably harder than the mixture used for earlier issues. The die itself is rather worn and the sheath or instrument used for cutting the blanks from the sheet metal is getting blunt and could not be properly repaired by the local Trengganu metal-workers: with the result that the edging of the coin is very poor and the general impression not very clear: though specimens vary.

(e) Ten thousand dollars worth of these coins were to be issued. The issue was authorized by the High Commissioner.

Mr. Moquette of Weltevreden, Java, informed me in 1920 that in 1914, in consequence of shortage in copper currency, an issue of Tin coins representing values of 5 and 10 cents was contemplated. Dies were prepared at the Opium Factory at Batavia but, as the scarcity of coinage was within a short time made good by a supply from Holland, the projected issue of coins was never made.

The die for the 10 cent piece was destroyed and the specimens struck from it were, with the exception of one example produced after the die had already been damaged and now in the Batavia Museum, melted down. The die for the 5 cent piece was however preserved and is in the same Museum together with a few specimens struck from it. The following is a short description of these extremely rare proofs:—

1. Ten cents: struck at Batavia, Java: made of tin with a little lead: circular: size 27 mm. Plain edge. Description from a plaster cast. [Pl. V. figs. 24 and 25].