Sumatra 1798 2 kepings
This specimen was lot 52429 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted, "MALAYA. British East India Company. Gilt Copper 2 Kepings, AH 1213/1798. Birmingham (Soho) Mint. NGC PROOF-64. This glowing near-Gem delivers a rich eye appeal and shimmering luster on the gilded surfaces. Signs of handling and friction are limited, and much beauty is retained across the brilliance and wholesome devices. A piece that is certain to capture many excited bids." The British East India Company held trading stations on the island of Sumatra for decades prior to the Napoleonic Wars. At the Vienna Congress in 1815, the British surrendered all their holdings in Indonesia to the Dutch in exchange for a free hand in Malaya and Singapore. This type was struck in 1798 along with keping and three kepings. This is a later restrike in gilt copper.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: copper.
Catalog reference: KM-261; Prid-8.
- 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, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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