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2 1/2 Rupiah
| Issuer | Republik Indonesia, Governor of Bukittinggi, Sumatra |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#183 |
| Obverse description | Brown letterpress note with a central vignette of a young Sumatran man in a traditional peci cap set within a floral oval frame at left. The heading REPUBLIK INDONESIA and PROPINSI SUMATERA appear at top, with the denomination rendered as a large stylised 2½ flanked by the inscription DUA RUPIAH SETENGAH. A lower panel carries the legend TANDA PEMBAJARAN JANG SAH, with an official signature and the issuing authority inscription GUBERNUR SUMATERA REPUBLIK INDONESIA at lower right. Serial number printed twice in the upper and lower margins. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Reverse printed in brown, centred on a large diamond-shaped geometric frame enclosing the bold numeral 2½, surrounded by an elaborate foliate and scroll border in letterpress style. A small floral rosette appears at lower centre. Below the central frame, a multi-line Indonesian legal-tender text warns against counterfeiting with reference to the relevant presidential decree. |
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| Comments |
The Bukittinggi issues of 1947 are among the more administratively peculiar notes from Indonesia's independence period. When the Dutch reimposed control over Batavia and Java following the August 1945 proclamation, the Republican government relocated key functions to Sumatra — Bukittinggi in West Sumatra became a provisional capital of sorts, and local currency printing followed from sheer necessity rather than any centralized monetary plan.
These regional emergency notes were produced under improvised conditions and are frequently found with uneven ink coverage and rough-cut margins, which is a feature of production rather than post-issue damage. The 2½ denomination itself reflects the Dutch colonial reckoning still embedded in Indonesian monetary arithmetic at the time.