This month I have acquired two coins from the Dutch East Indies, what is now known as Indonesia. Both coins are relatively small, about the same size as a 10c euro piece, or a British 20p coin. Both are relatively well worn, and thus are thin, about 1mm in thickness. Both are valued at 1 duit, with 160 duits equalling 1 gulden.
The coins themselves date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The one on the left being struck and issued by the Dutch East India Company (VoC), as seen by the companies logo on the reverse side (The logo was used in an attempt to stop smuggling in it’s Indonesian colony). The VoC, first founded in 1602, functioned along the same lines as it’s British contemporary working to capitalise on trade in India and the Far East. The VoC was influential in the early modern period as it pioneered the rise of corporate-led globalisation. It became the first corporation to be listed on a formal stock exchange, and at it’s peak was the most valuable corporation ever.
The coin was struck in 1791 close to the end of the VoC’s existence as 7 years prior it had taken part in the financially disastrous Fourth Anglo-Dutch war (1780-84). Which would eventually cause for it to be part nationalised 5 years later in 1796, and eventually completely nationalised by 1799.
After it was nationalised all VoC territories were taken over by the Dutch government, and all it’s assets seized. This can be seen in the following coin on the right which was issued for the region in 1807. The Latinised form of the name Batavia is the colonial name of what is now central Jakarta. Indonesia declared it’s independence from colonial rule after the Japanese surrender in WWII. However, the Dutch government refused to relinquish control and an armed and diplomatic struggle broke out. This would last until December 1949, when the Dutch finally recognised Indonesian independence due to international pressure. The last part of Dutch owned territory in the area would not be gained by Indonesia until 1962 when the province of Netherlands New Guinea was handed over to them following the New York Agreement.
Numismatic Exploits 