Catalog
1 Keping Sumatra
| Issuer | British East India Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1804 |
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| Thickness | 0.5 mm |
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| Reverse description | Central field bears an Arabic inscription arranged in multiple lines, with the denomination numeral appearing at the top and the Hijri date expressed in Eastern Arabic numerals at the bottom. The inscription reads one keping and records the year AH 1219, corresponding to the Gregorian year 1804. A border of beads encircles the entire reverse design, consistent with the obverse treatment. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Keping was struck under Company authority for circulation in the Penang settlement and surrounding Sumatran trade networks, where the chronic shortage of small-denomination specie had long forced merchants to rely on tin ingots and ad-hoc tokens. The 1804 issue was among the earliest copper coins produced specifically for this region under British administration, following the Company's formal establishment at Penang — then called Prince of Wales Island — in 1786.
The multiple catalog references reflect decades of collector disagreement over attribution and series classification, with Schjöth, Pridmore, and KM each handling the Straits Settlements token coinage differently.