© numismaticroy
© numismaticroy
1 Keping Cockerel facing right; Ugi
1250 (1835) year| Copper | 2 g | 21.46 mm |
| Issuer | Sulawesi (British East Indies) |
|---|---|
| Type | Token |
| Year | 1250 (1835) |
| Calendar | Islamic (Hijri) |
| Value | 1 Keping (1⁄400) |
| Currency | Keping |
| Composition | Copper |
| Weight | 2 g |
| Diameter | 21.46 mm |
| Thickness | 0.75 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-04 |
| Numista | N#48387 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 73% |
Reverse
Flower with 16 petals, identified as a tanjung tree's (Mimusops elengi), with encircling Lontara' inscription. Date in western Arabic numeral at bottom. Beads around border.
Script: Lontara
Lettering:
ᨓᨊᨘᨓᨈᨊᨕᨘᨁᨗ ᨔᨙᨉᨗᨀᨙᨄᨙ
1250
Unabridged legend:
Wanuwa tana ugi sédi képé(ng)
1250
Translation:
Land of Bugis, one keping
AH 1250 (=AD 1834)
Edge
Plain
Comment
These coins were not official currency of any state. They were first issued in the early 1800s by British merchants at Singapore, to alleviate base coin shortage, before spreading to various parts of the Malay Archipelago. To circumvent confiscation attempts by colonial authorities (particularly the Dutch), British merchants use inscriptions that refer to locations that are vague, fictitious, or unaffiliated to Europeans. In this manner, legally it could not be argued that the tokens were intended for circulation in colonial territories.The observe image of cockerel facing right has several varieties with very minor difference. Notice tail and ground shape to aid identification.
See Singh (1986:445-449) for details.
Lack of final -ng in "képéng" is customary in Lontara' orthography, not an error.
Interesting fact
The A Token 1 Keping (Cockerel facing right; Ugi) 1250 (1835) from Sulawesi (British East Indies) made of Copper weighing 2 g is an interesting coin because it is a rare example of a local currency used in the British East Indies, specifically in Sulawesi, during the 19th century. The coin features a cockerel facing right, which is a symbol of courage and strength in many cultures, and the Ugi script on the reverse side, which is a writing system used in Sulawesi. The fact that it is made of copper and weighs 2 grams also highlights the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the people who created it, as they had to use available materials to create a currency that would be both practical and durable.