Kaboepaten Laboehan Batoe was one of dozens of Indonesian regional authorities that issued emergency currency during the 1947–1949 period of Dutch military action — the Dutch referred to these as "politionele acties," the Indonesians as outright war. With the colonial banking system disrupted and the new Republic's own finances under severe strain, local kabupaten administrations were authorized, in practice if not always in strict law, to print their own money to pay civil servants and maintain basic commerce.
Rantau Prapat, the administrative seat of Labuhan Batu regency on Sumatra's east coast, was tobacco and rubber country. The ink stamp is the primary security feature — a characteristic of hastily produced regional issues where printing infrastructure was limited and authentication had to be applied after the fact.
Kaboepaten Laboehan Batoe was one of dozens of Indonesian regional authorities that issued emergency currency during the 1947–1949 period of Dutch military action — the Dutch referred to these as "politionele acties," the Indonesians as outright war. With the colonial banking system disrupted and the new Republic's own finances under severe strain, local kabupaten administrations were authorized, in practice if not always in strict law, to print their own money to pay civil servants and maintain basic commerce.
Rantau Prapat, the administrative seat of Labuhan Batu regency on Sumatra's east coast, was tobacco and rubber country. The ink stamp is the primary security feature — a characteristic of hastily produced regional issues where printing infrastructure was limited and authentication had to be applied after the fact.