Catalog
50 Dollars - Charles Brooke
| Issuer | Government of Sarawak |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#18 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Monochrome green reverse printed in letterpress and intaglio, dominated by a large central circular guilloche medallion inscribed "THE GOVERNMENT OF SARAWAK" enclosing a decorative star device. The denomination numeral "50" appears in bold within ornate rectangular panels to the left and right of the medallion, each flanked above and below by the word "DOLLARS". Spiral rosette corner ornaments and interlocking geometric lathe-work borders frame the entire composition. |
| Reverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT OF SARAWAK DOLLARS DOLLARS DOLLARS DOLLARS |
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| Comments |
Sarawak's paper money was issued by the personal authority of the Rajah, not a central bank — the White Rajah dynasty governed the territory as a private fiefdom under British protection, and the currency reflected that unusual arrangement. Charles Vyner Brooke, the third and final White Rajah, authorized this series during a period of relative administrative stability before the Depression began cutting into revenue from pepper, rubber, and sago.
Bradbury Wilkinson produced consistently high-quality intaglio work for colonial and quasi-colonial clients throughout the interwar period, and the Sarawak commissions were no exception. The 50 Dollar denomination would have seen limited everyday circulation given local wage levels in 1929 — these were transactional instruments for larger commercial dealings, not street currency.