Java 1815-Z 1/2 rupee

Sincona sale 73, lot 1683

This specimen was lot 1683 in Sincona sale 73 (Zurich, November 2021), where it sold for 6,000 CHF (about US$7,720 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"NETHERLANDS EASTINDIA | Java, Britische Administration, 1811-1815. Gold-1/2 Rupie 1230 AH / 1815 AD, Sourabya. Münzmeister J. A. Zwekkert. Sehr selten. NGC AU50. (Netherlands East Indies, Java, British occupation, 1811-15, gold half rupee of 1815, Surabaya mint. Very rare, graded NGC AU50.)"

Java, the chief island of Indonesia, was occupied by the British 1811-16. This half rupee was struck by them 1813-17 in silver and gold (shown here) while they held the island. After the Vienna Congress in 1815, Indonesia was returned to the Dutch but the English kept their colonies in Malaya, especially Singapore.

Recorded mintage: 514,000.

Specification: 8.01 g, 0.833 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Scholten 590. KM 248b (gold), Fr-15.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Peters, T., J. Scheper and J. Mevius, Muntalmanak 2014, 31^e editie, Amsterdam: Nederlandse vereniging van munthandelaren, 2013.
• Scholten, C., The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories, 1601-1948, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman, 1953.
• ^[1]Richter, Jurg, Sincona sale 73: World Coins and Medals, Bullion Auction and World Banknotes, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2021.

Link to:

• Java 1814 duit
• 1814-Z stuiver
• Sumatra 1815-H duit
• Java AH1230 rupee
• Coins and currency dated 1815