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1/2 Rupee
| Issuer | G. Clunies Ross (Cocos (Keeling) Islands) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#S118 |
| Obverse description | The upper portion of the note bears the arms of the Clunies Ross family — a shield flanked by palm trees with the motto PRO PATRIA — centred between the inscriptions KEELING and COCOS, with the series designation Y E and the year 1823 to the upper right. To the left, the fractional denomination 1/2 is printed in red within a circular cartouche. The lower half carries the exchange text in letterpress within a dotted border, the date 1897 at the lower left, and the manuscript signature of G. Clunies Ross at the lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | G. Clunies Ross |
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| Comments |
George Clunies-Ross ran the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a personal fiefdom under a grant from Queen Victoria, and the currency he issued was entirely internal — redeemable only at his own store, the sole commercial establishment on the islands. Workers on the copra plantation were paid in these tokens and notes, creating a closed economic loop from which there was no practical exit. The system persisted, largely unchanged, until the Australian government purchased the islands from the Clunies-Ross family in 1978.
At 56 × 47 mm, this is among the smallest paper issues in the colonial record. The 1897 series is hand-signed by George Clunies-Ross himself.