History Of Sarawak Coinage

In the early 17th century, the Sultanate of Brunei controlled the whole of the northern part of Borneo which include the territory now known as Sarawak. In 1840, there was rebellion against the Sultan of Brunei. James Brooke, a British adventurer help the Sultan of Brunei to suppress a rebellion and as a reward the Sultan concede the territory now known as Sarawak to him on 24 September 1841 ( the date of the One Keping 1841 coin bearing the same date).

In 1888, the State of Sarawak was placed under British protection which prospered until the Japanese Invasion in 1941. After the Japanese left, the third Rajah,Sir Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to the British crown on 1 July 1946. On 16 September 1963, Sarawak became a State of Malaysia.

Coinage:-

Sarawak issued its own coinage at intervals from 1841 to 1941. It also issued its own banknotes from 1929 to 1945.

The first coin was the One Keping 1841 minted in a private mint in Birmingham.

In 1863 coins were made by the Birmingham Mint in ¼ cent, ½ cent and one cent denominations and featured the bust of Rajah Brooke and the inscription “J. Brooke Rajah” for use in Sarawak. These coins established the new monetary standard for Sarawak where 100 cents was the equivalent of one dollar. The mintages of the 1863 pieces are unknown but considered low with the survival rate even lower. While these were the final coins issued under Rajah Brooke, they set the precedent for the future coinage of Sarawak’s White Rajahs. 

From 1863 onwards, all Sarawak coins were minted at Ralph Heaton & Son, Birmingham(after 1879 known as the Mint, Birmingham)

The coins featured the following three white “Rajas”/rulers:

1.Sir James Brooke (1841-1868)
2.Sir Charles Johnson Brooke (1868-1917)
3.Sir Charles Vyner Brooke(1917-1946)

One keping & J.Brooke coin