Penang 1788 1/4 dollar
This specimen was lot 42630 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $6,405. The catalog description[1] noted, "Wondrous Fractional Rarity, NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES. British Pulu Penang. 1/4 Dollar, 1788. Calcutta Mint. PCGS AU-53. A conditional RARITY, this spectacular specimen is further elevated by an extraordinary and unexpected state of preservation. This piece sits near the pinnacle of surviving quality for the entire series and represents an irreplaceable trophy for the advanced specialist for an uncommon issue." Penang, later part of Malaya, was the main British trading station prior to the founding of Singapore. Coinage struck for that colony was intended to circulate throughout the East Indies, where the Spanish American dollar was the common currency.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.903 fine silver, 23.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-6.2; Prid-2; Sch-970 (RRR); SS-19.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Passon, Tom, Catalogus van de Munten van de Nederlandse Gebieden Overzee, vanaf 1601 tot heden, Apeldoorn, Netherlands, 2022.
- Scholten, C., The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories, 1601-1948, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman, 1953.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
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