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5 Rupees
| Issuer | Clunies Ross Family (Cocos (Keeling) Islands) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1913 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Obverse description | The Clunies Ross family coat of arms occupies the central field, featuring a quartered shield flanked by palm trees and surmounted by a crested helm. A ribbon below the shield bears the Latin motto PRO PATRIA. The circular legend KEELING COCOS ISLANDS runs along the upper periphery, with the date •1910• displayed prominently at the base. The entire design is impressed into the ivory-colored plastic octagonal flan. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | KEELING COCOS ISLANDS •1910• |
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| Additional information |
The Clunies Ross family ruled the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a private fiefdom for over a century, and their token currency was the instrument of that control. Workers on the copra plantation were paid exclusively in these plastic pieces, redeemable only at the family's own store — a closed economic loop that effectively bound the workforce to the island. The British government, which nominally administered the territory, tolerated the arrangement for decades.
Australia finally abolished the system in 1978, forcibly purchasing the islands from John Cecil Clunies Ross. These tokens became worthless overnight.