Auctioneer: St James, Auction 37
Realised Price: 38,400 GBP （including buter premium)
Approx. RM207,360 before subjected to 6% custom tax and postage (@27 June 2016)
Lot Description
Straits Settlements, Victoria, silver currency set, 1871, comprising 20 cents; 10 cents and 5 cents, diademed head l., rev. value within beaded circle, milled edge (KM.12/11/10; Pridmore 39/79/122), the 20 cents appears to be from proof dies, the fields are fully mirrored with gold, silver and steel-grey turning and the edges are razor sharp, authenticated and graded by NGC as Mint State 65; the 10 cents is a bold strike with superb silver, orange and turquoise toning, authenticated and graded by NGC as Mint State 66; the 5 cents has flawless lustrous fields with gold and silver toning, a superb example, authenticated and graded by NGC as Mint State 66 (3)
20 cents: NGC has certified one at MS61, two at MS62 and this example at MS65 - thus the finest known. An MS63 was sold by Heritage in Chicago in April 2012 for US $29,900.
10 cents: this coin is the only example graded MS66, thus the finest known.
5 cents: NGC grades only one piece higher than this.
All three are plate coins from Brunei and Nusantara: History in Coinage. Unquestionably the finest known set of this issue.
Until 1871 the Straits Settlements and the neighbouring Malay States had used a mixture of non-local silver coinage, including in particular Mexican dollars and Indian rupees. Actually, during the century prior to this period until 1867 the government - this being for the most part the East India Company - kept all records in Rupee currency. However, the silver rupee was not popular locally and in 1842 Indian copper coins were introduced into the Straits Settlements. This experiment was a failure, resulting in the decision in 1844 by the Supreme Government of India that a special copper coinage would be issued in the Straits - the coins were dated 1845 and comprised 1 cent, ½ cent and ¼ cent. Coins bearing this date were struck and issued right up until the end of the East India Company in 1858 when the Company transferred its powers to the British Government, and the Straits Settlements became part of the Government of British India.
According to Major Pridmore, until 1862 the Government of India supplied to the Straits Settlements the three existing copper coins still bearing the date 1845. Then in 1862 a new coinage was prepared for the Straits reflecting the change of title, these again comprising the cent, ½ cent and ¼ cent. It was only in 1871 that the Straits Settlements received its first silver coins, comprising 20 cents, 10 cents, and 5 cents. Of this historic first issue of silver the 20 cents and 5 cents are considered rare, while the 10 cents was minted in relatively larger quantities. New bronze coinage for the Straits Settlements as a crown colony was not ready until the following year, and was dated 1872.
Thus the first coinage for the Straits Settlements as a colony is the 1871 issue, of which the finest are presented here. (40000-60000 GBP)
Regards,
30 June 2016
