Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait391903roya).pdf/214



The Dutch during their possession of Malacca (1641-1795, and 1818-1824) never minted any coins especially for that place, but naturally used the coinage current in Java. That island has changed its rulers several times since the end of the six- teenth century, viz:

Coins belonging to four of these epochs were discovered at Malacca.

The two Companies van Verre seem to have issued silver coins only, but none are in the collection.

The Dutch East India Company issued gold, silver and copper coins. The first copper coins were minted in 1644, but in the Malacca collection which contains no gold or silver coins. the earliest copper coins date from 1729. From the fact that the earliest copper coin figured by Netscher and Chijs (13) dates from 1726 we may conclude that still earlier ones are rare in numismatic collections.

The Batavian Republic issued gold, silver and copper coins, but the collection does not contain any. The Raffles Museum, however, possesses a copper coin of that period. The obverse shows the Dutch coat-of-arms consisting of a crowned shield enclosing a lion rampart, with the figures 5 and $1⁄10$ to the right and left of the shield respectively. The reverse bears the inscription INDIÆ BATAV. 1802.

The French Government issued silver and copper coins, and two of the latter were found at Malacca.

The British Government issued gold, silver, copper and lead coins during its occupation of Java, but the Malacca collection contained none of them. The Raffles Museum, however, possesses silver Rupees of the years 1812 and 1816, half Rupees of 1813, copper Stuivers of 1814, half Stuivers of all the years