Item number: A48

Year: AD 1805

Material: Copper

Size: 14 x 11 mm

Weight: 55.12 g (with case)

Provenance: Spink 2023

This coin is a product of the United East India Company’s issuance in the Netherlands East Indies , featuring a denomination of ½ Bonk Stuiver. It was minted during the early 19th century as a circulating currency aimed at resolving the issue of currency shortages resulting from the prosperity of colonial trade. The “Bonk Stuiver” coins were uniformly minted in Batavia during this specified period. 

The obverse of this copper coin is inscribed with the denomination “½:S,” indicating the value of ½ Stuiver. On the reverse side, the coin bears the year of minting, which is AD 1805. 

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Netherlands East Indies colony faced a shortage of copper coins primarily due to the slow delivery of currency from the Netherlands. To address this pressing issue, the colonial government in the East Indies implemented innovative measures, initiating the production of a coinage known as “Bonk.” These coins were typically crafted by roughly cutting copper bars referred to as “Bonken,” resulting in irregular shapes, possibly elliptical or rectangular.

The purpose behind the design of these coins was to swiftly and economically supply currency to the colony, as despite the local trade flourishing, there was a persistent shortage of copper coins. Consequently, these coins are also referred to as “emergency coins,” reflecting the government’s adoption of urgent measures during specific periods to meet the currency demands of the colony. 

物件編號: A48

年代: 公元 1805 年

材料: 銅

尺寸: 14 x 11 mm

重量: 55.12 g (含盒)

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2023

此枚為荷蘭的聯合東印度公司在荷屬東印度群島發行的貨幣，面值是½ bonk Stuiver，為公元19世紀左右為解決殖民地貿易繁榮導致貨幣短缺的問題而製造出的流通貨幣。這些“Bonk Stuiver”硬幣於巴達維亞統一鑄造。 

銅幣的正面刻有「½:S」的字樣，意為此枚貨幣的面額½斯圖伊弗，背面則刻有此枚銅幣鑄造的年份公元1805年。 

在公元18世紀末和19世紀初，荷蘭東印度殖民地面臨著銅幣供應不足的問題，主要是由於來自荷蘭的貨幣交付速度較慢。為解決這一緊急問題，東印度殖民地政府採取了創新的措施，開始製造一種被稱為“Bonk”的硬幣。這些硬幣通常是通過粗略切割名為“Bonken”的銅條而成，形狀不規則，可能是橢圓形或矩形。 

設計這些硬幣的目的是為了迅速、廉價地為殖民地提供貨幣，因為儘管當地貿易繁榮，但銅幣供應一直短缺。 因此，這種硬幣也被稱為“應急硬幣”，反映了政府在特殊時期採取的緊急措施以滿足殖民地的貨幣需求。