The dollar was the

currency A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a ''system of money'' in common use within a specific envi ...

of the

Raj of Sarawak The Raj of Sarawak, Kingdom of Sarawak or State of Sarawak, was a kingdom founded in 1841 in northwestern Borneo and was in a Protectorate, treaty of protection with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom from 1888. It ...

from 1858 to 1953. It was subdivided into 100 ''cents''. The dollar remained at par with the Straits dollar and its successor the Malayan dollar, the currency of Malaya and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, from its introduction until both currencies were replaced by the Malaya and British Borneo dollar in 1953. During the Japanese occupation period (1942–1945), paper money was issued in denominations ranging from 1 cent to 1,000 dollars. This currency was fixed at 1 dollar = 1

Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro. Th ...

, compared to a 1:2 pre-war rate. Following the war, the Japanese occupation currency was declared worthless and the previous issues of the Sarawakian dollar regained their value relative to sterling (two

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

s four pence).

Coins

All Sarawak coins carry the portrait and the name of one of the three "

White Rajahs The White Rajahs of Sarawak were a hereditary monarchy of the Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak as a sovereign state, located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Maritime Southeast Asia, from 1841 to 1946. Of ...

" of Sarawak, James Brooke until 1868, Charles Brooke from 1868 to 1917, and

Charles Vyner Brooke Charles Vyner Brooke, (full name Charles Vyner de Windt Brooke, 26 September 1874 – 9 May 1963) was the third and last White Rajah of the Raj of Sarawak. Early life Charles Vyner Brooke was the son of Charles Brooke and Margaret de Windt ( ...

from 1917 to the end of this currency in 1938. Throughout the history of the Sarawak dollar, coins were minted in values of cent, cent, 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, and 50 cents. The copper was the smallest denomination and the first to be discontinued, last being issued in 1896. The was also always copper and after reductions in size was eventually discontinued in 1933. Starting in 1892 1 cent coins had a hole in the centre, but the holed design was discontinued after 1897. In 1920 the 1 cent coin was struck in copper-nickel but later reverted to bronze in 1927. The 5 and 10 cent coins were 80% silver until 1920, when they were briefly reduced to 40% silver and then replaced by copper-nickel the same year. The 20 and 50 cent coins remained silver but in 1920 were reduced from 80% to 40%.

Banknotes

The first series was issued by the Sarawak Government Treasury. They were hand-stamped notes of low quality. All later notes were issued by the Government of Sarawak except for the 10-cent and 25-cent notes in 1919 (by the Treasury again). Throughout its history, banknotes came in the values of 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, $1, $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100.

References

External links

Coins from Sarawak
{{Portal bar, Asia, Malaysia, Money, Numismatics 1858 establishments in Sarawak 1953 disestablishments Currencies of Malaysia Currencies of the British Empire Dollar Raj of Sarawak Modern obsolete currencies Obsolete currencies in Malaysian history

Coins

Banknotes

See also

References

External links