Pondicherry, now Puducherry, was the headquarters of French occupied India. The French had left India but the architectural and other tangible heritages of the French colonies in India are well maintained. It may be Chandernagore or Puducherry. Interestingly, the current city plan of Puducherry is … Continue reading Dutch city plan in French Pondicherry and Goddess Kali
Apparently a small cause that has a larger impact is called butterfly effect. Sarawak could be an ideal example. The Sultan of Brunei presented a tiny territory to James Brooke, an India (Company Raj) born British soldier and adventurer, in return for a help. This story dates back to 1841. Presently Sarawak is a state in Malaysia and Brunei is a tiny Kingdom surrounded by Sarawak.
Brook, a British origin, got a small state, Sarawak, the Land of Hornbills, from the Sultan of Brunei. James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak, issued his own coins. The coins were minted in a private mint in Birmingham in 1841. Initials of James Brooke i.e., JB were inscribed below the motif of a pig. Jawi (Persi-Arabian) script was used on the other side. The unit of the coin was 1 keping. Needless to mention, this currency is a rare one. James Brooke of Sarawak continued to rule till 1868. After his death in the absence of a legitimate son his nephew Charles Brooke became the heir of the throne. The White Rajah family enjoy
ed sovereignty of the land till 1888. After which Sarawak was deemed a protectorate of the United Kingdom untill 1941. The Brooke family continuously annexed the parts of Brunei and finally, after the WWII, Sarawak became part of Malaysia and Brunei became a tiny kingdom in two parts.
The Brooke rulers are popularly known as the White Rajahs. The Rajahs issued coins of their own. Few of them were minted with holes. Like the pig coins, the coins with holes are also very rare. Apart from James Brook, coins were issued in the name of Charles J Brooke and CV Brooke. A total of 20 odd types of coins were circulated in denominations of 1 keping, ¼ cent, half cent, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. They issued Dollars as paper currency. The currency was named as Strait Dollar. Japan annexed Sarawak on16 December 1941. During 1945-46, the British Crown took over the) charge of Sarawak again. The portion was given to Malaysia in 1963.
The photograph of the coin used here is from my collection. The maps are taken from google and Wikipedia.
It was not born during the time of world wars, but it was born and again absorbed with the motherland! Perhaps, it is the first modern nation to engrave the traditional mode of exchange on their currency. The richest part of Congo was separated and formed a country Katanga in 1960.
Katanga itself produced 50% of GDP of the Belgian Congo. Shortly after the liberation from Belgium, the richest part of Congo, Katanga, was separated and declared independence in July 1960. When Patrice Lumumba was seeking help from USSR, Moise Tshombe asked support from USA.
After liberation, the newly formed nation issued own currency Katangese Franc. They issued coins in the denomination of 1, 2 and 5. More interestingly, the Katanga Cross, which was the ‘currency’ of the region before European invasion, appeared on the coins. The copper mining region issued copper coins only.
What was the value of Katanga cross? One could buy 10 Kg of flower by 1 cross and 10 crosses was enough to purchase one gun. Weight of each cross was about a kilogram and length of each arm was about 20 cm.
Katanga again merged with Congo in January, 1963.
(Coin from my collection. The map and Katanga cross downloaded from google)
The interesting thing is the immense care that is taken to please the French people and to show that German and French culture are not only essentially harmonious, but are complementary to each other. “Collaboration” is the daily theme, profuse flattery being addressed to the French businesses represented at the Leipzig fair, to the France Européenne exhibition, to the French banking system, to the particular French political and economic gifts that could play their part in the new Europe. — The Guardian reports quoting the Observer (September 1941) after 68 years (September 2009).
The Nazi Germany occupied the northern part of France including Paris (Vichy was the capital of free France). The German ruler issued coins that matched with the French culture and tradition to their annexed part of France. Neither the word Deutche nor the Nazi symbol or coat of arms of Weimer were included in the design. More interestingly, a double bitted axe with a bundle of sticks was used instead of coat of arms and ETAT FRANCAISE (state France) was lettered. TRAVAIL (job), FAMILLE (family) and PATRIE (country) was written in obverse side. Franc was continued as the unit of currency of France.
The symbol double bitted axe with the bundle of sticks (known as fasces) was derived from Etruscan civilization (Italy) or early Greek civilization. Primarily it was the symbol of magistrate power. The bundle of sticks or rods means togetherness is the unity, but bundle of birch twigs symbolised corporal punishment. The axe clearly denotes capital punishment.
For information, the origin of the symbol of Fascist Party of Italy (led by Benito Mussolini) derived from fasces. The symbol commonly used in Italian fascist uniform was a perched eagle clutching a fasces.
(photo of coin: from my collection)
Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic), a tiny country in Europe, only recognized by three other non-UN states namely Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia has issued plastic coins of four denominations (1, 3, 5 10 Ruble) as their legal tender. Undoubtedly, the un-recognized but de facto independent country has started a new era of currency coins. It has set a new question, what should be the definition of coin now?
I have searched the definition of coin and the word ‘metal’ is common in each and every case. According to merriam-webster.com: a:a usually flat piece of metal issued by governmental authority as money b:metal money. According to oxforddictionaries.com, it is a flat disc or piece of metal with an official stamp, used as money. Is Transnistria an exception? Not really.
The one rupee paper currency of India is also a coin. According to the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934, the apex bank has no right to issue one rupee paper currency. Only the government of India reserves the right. The paper currency of India bears the image of the metal one rupee coin. Unlike the RBI paper currencies (banknotes), the Finance Secretary is the signing authority. In a word, it is a coin.
Interestingly, the en.wikipedia.org has redefined the definition of coin. A coin is a small, flat, (usually) round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a government. But I would like to add one more material, i.e. paper. So the new definition could be: A coin is a small, flat, (usually) round piece of metal or plastic and sometimes rectangular in shape and made by paper, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint/ security press in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a government.
Just for additional information, China also issues 2 and 5 jiao paper currencies. Chinese renminbi consists three units: 1 yuan = 10 jiao =100 fen. China issues jiao in both metal and paper form.
Museum Coin Heritage Culture 