Catalog
1/2 Rupiah ORI I
| Issuer | Republic of Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 119 × 58 mm |
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| Obverse description | Printed in green, the face bears the denomination numeral '1/2' repeated at each corner within a geometric border of cloud and horn-pattern motifs. A central guilloche-style underprint carries the fractional value, with ornamental scrollwork framing the entire field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in green, the back is dominated by a central promissory text block enclosed within a border of stylised fern-leaf vignettes. The denomination value appears twice at the upper left and upper right flanking the text panel. |
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| Comments |
The ORI — Oeang Republik Indonesia — was the first currency issued by the newly proclaimed Republic of Indonesia, rushed into production in late 1945 as a direct assertion of sovereignty against the returning Dutch colonial administration. These notes were printed domestically under genuinely difficult conditions, with limited materials and no established printing infrastructure. The half-rupiah denomination was among the smallest in the ORI I series, intended to facilitate everyday transactions in a wartime economy where coins were scarce and trust in Japanese occupation currency had completely collapsed.
Dutch forces actively attempted to suppress ORI circulation, and possession of these notes in Dutch-controlled zones carried real risk. Surviving examples that show heavy use often passed through exactly that contested territory.