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1/4 Cent Pattern
| Issuer | British North Borneo Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1878 |
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| Value | 1/4 Cent (0.0025) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Centrally pierced round flan featuring a geometric radiating design of seven segments arranged around the central hole, enclosed within a raised beaded inner border. The annular field between the beaded border and the toothed outer rim bears a continuous Arabic legend in flowing Jawi script. The date 1295 A.H. appears prominently in Arabic-Indic numerals in the upper portion of the legend band, corresponding to the Hijri year equivalent to 1878. The overall design exhibits a distinctly Islamic decorative character consistent with the coinage traditions of the Sulu Sultanate. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The British North Borneo Chartered Company received its royal charter in November 1881 — which makes a coin dated 1878 genuinely anomalous. These pattern pieces predate the company's formal existence, struck speculatively during negotiations to establish the territory's administration. Whether produced in London or Calcutta remains disputed among specialists, and the issuing authority at the moment of striking was, strictly speaking, not yet legal.
Fewer than a handful of examples are documented across major collections.