Melaka Coinage-Dutch East Indies

At the start of the 16th century a new European nation went adventuring on the high seas. The Dutch, who had fought a very long war for independence against their Spanish overlords, had finally established themselves and proceeded to build themselves a great trading economy. Not the least bit reconciled with their former masters, the Dutch went into direct competition with them in India and southeast Asia, employing the military option wherever necessary. The Netherlands East Indies (N.E.I) are included all Dutch territories in Java, The Moluccas Islands, Malacca and Sumatra. The Dutch who expanding their influence in the Far East combined with the forces of the Sultan of Johore and captured the Malacca from the Portuguese on January 14, 1641. In this 150 years of Dutch East India Company (V.O.C., Verenidge Oostindische Compagnie) have exclusive monopoly power on trade.

The first Dutch coinage of the V.O.C for Malacca was issued in 1641. All those earlier Portuguese coins and other circulating currency were retained for trading purposes. In fact, coins for use by the V.O.C in the Netherlands East Indies (N.E.I) were struck in the following Provinces, most of them in gold and silver. Holland (HOLL), West friesland (WESTF), Zeeland (S+ZEEL or ZEL), Utreht (TRAI), Gelderland (GEL), Overijsel(TRANSI) and N.E.I for Province of Groningen. The following are the common coinages of Dutch we see in market circulation:- Half Doit (HOLL, ZEEL, WESTF, GEL,) One Doit,, Half Guilder Silver Rider Quarter Stiver, Half Stiver, Bonk One Stiver, Bonk One & Two Stivers, Batavia Quarter Crown, Batavia Half Crown.

The Dutch overseas companies started playing around with striking coins to use in their overseas operations as early as 1602, but these were pretty much patterns or trials made in very small numbers, hardly used if ever, and extremely rare today. A few years after the Dutch took Malacca a coin shortage was recognized as being in progress throughout the Dutch East Indies, and the authorities at Batavia (modern Jakarta in Indonesia) produced some local products in an attempt to ameliorate the situation. These emergency coins were struck in silver and tin in several denominations, but were disallowed and suppressed by the home office back in Holland. The tin coins are said by Saran Singh to have circulated in Malacca, so are pertinent to this story. Mr. Singh also mentions that the Portuguese tin bazarucos of Malacca were called in and recoined with Dutch designs shortly after the territory changed hands, but that none of the Dutch coins have survived.

With the center of operations now being Batavia, the importance of Malacca declined, and it became an outpost rather than a key player. Despite some playing around with the idea of issuing coins during the 17th century, the VOC's governors found it more convenient to use Spanish cobs in trade. VOC coinage didn't really get off the ground until the 1720s, when production of the well known copper VOC duits began. These proved to be very popular throughout the islands and Malaya. Struck in large quantities, they are today among the most common and least expensive of 18th century coins. Struck by seven mints in the Netherlands, one can collect them by date with at least a theoretical possibility of completing a set. Though they were indeed used in Malaya, the vast majority of specimens available to collectors come out of the ground in Indonesia. Low grade pieces with corrosion are normal. Uncirculated of otherwise high grade specimens are rare, as are the off metal versions in silver, gold, etc., struck for contemporary collectors.

A series of silver coins - crowns and fractions - was also struck during the 18th century. These were not used very much, the Spanish dollar being preferred, and they are not so easy to find these days. Meanwhile, as all this colonial activity was going on, a number of native kingdoms were in operation on the Malay peninsula, and Thailand was active in the north.

Here are some of the coin used during Dutch East Indies occupation in Malacca:

1 Stiver (Tin)-Obverse

1 Stiver (Tin)-Reverse

Obverse: Logo of the Dutch VOC above the date
Reverse: Counterstamp of Holland crown shield beside is a rectangular counterstamp (I.S) means 1 Stiver
Edge: Plain.
Diameter: Irregular shape (Approx 30mm- 32 mm.)
Weight: 15.2 grammes.
Composition: Tin (81%) Lead (19%)
Mint: Malacca mint. Condition: Rare

1 Stiver (Tin)-Obverse

1 Stiver (Tin)-Reverse

Obverse: The date above the (G;y) logo.
Reverse: Logo of the dutch VOC above the counterstamp (I.S) means 1 Stiver
Edge: Plain.
Diameter: 28.5mm- 29.5 mm.
Weight: 12.7 grammes.
Composition: Tin (81%) Lead (19%)
Mint: Malacca mint. Condition: Rare

2 Stiver (Tin)-Reverse

2 Stiver (Tin)-Obverse

Obverse: The date above the (G;y) logo.
Reverse: The letter I between the Logo of the dutch VOC above the counterstamp (2.S) means 2 Stiver
Edge: Plain.
Diameter: 34.5mm- 35 mm.
Weight: 26.6 grammes.
Composition: Tin (83%) Lead (17%)
Mint: Malacca mint.

Condition: Very Rare

Photo by: skydrivelive.com
Data source: Mallaca collection of coinage book, anythinganywhere, Melaka Century Currency