North Borneo Coins

Brief History of Colonial North Borneo

1761-1805 – British East India Company officer Alexander Dalrymple established a port at Balambangan Island ( Felicia Island ) off Kudat following agreement signed with Sultan of Sulu. 

The British abundant the port in 1805 mainly due to piracy.

1865-1866 – US Consul to Brunei, Charles Lee Moses obtained a 10-year-lease for the territory of North Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei.  He sold the rights to American Trading Company of Borneo ( owned by Joseph William Torrey, Thomas Bradley Harris, Tat Cheong et al )  Torrey founded Ellena at Kimanis River.

Ellena abandoned in 1866 due to multiple issues.

Rights for North Borneo sold to Consul of the Austro-Hungrian Empire in Hong Kong, Baron Gustav von Overbeck.

1875 – Baron Gustav von Overbeck obtained an extension of 10-year renewal from the Temenggong of Brunei.

1880 – Baron Gustav von Overbeck withdrew from North Borneo.  Alfred Dent resumed full control.

1881 – Alfred Dent found British North Borneo Provisional Association Ltd and obtained Royal Charter.

1882 – The North Borneo Chartered Company replaced the Provisional Association.  Sir Rutherford Alcock became the first President.  Alfred Dent became the Managing Director.

1884 – NBCC territory expanded to Putatan river & Padas district.

1885 – NBCC territory expanded to Kawang river & Mantanani Islands

1888 – North Borneo became a protectorate of Britain.

1942 – North Borneo fell to Japan invasion.

1945 – North Borneo liberated by Australian forces, administered under BMA.

1946 – North Borneo became a British Crown colony.

Jesselton replaced Sandakan as capital.

1963, August 31 – North Borneo granted self-government.

1963, September 16 – North Borneo joined Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia.

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With the granting of Royal Charter in 1881, North Borneo had the right to produce coin of its own.  It has 1 cent coins struck in England from 1882, and ½cent from 1885, both in bronze, minted by Heaton & Sons of Birmingham.

The British North Borneo dollar was at par with the Straits dollar ( and its successor, the Malayan dollar ), and Sarawak dollar.  All of the currencies were replaced with Malaya and British Borneo dollar in 1953.

Description

Observe :

Half Cent – Older Shield of North Borneo Chartered Company.  A mint mark “H” below the shield, above the ‘year of mint’.

One Cent – Shield of North Borneo Chartered Company, with “Pergo et Perago” which means “I undertake and I achieve” inscribed on banner.  A mint mark “H” inscribed at bottom of shield, above the ‘year of mint’.

Reverse :

Half Cent – Within  a laurel wreath, “HALF CENT” inscribed horizontally in middle, Chinese characters “洋元 半分” vertically crossing the English characters.  Below the wreath is value in Malay written in Jawi “تڠه سين”.   Encircled the wreath is “ BRITISH NORTH BORNEO Co

One Cent - Within  a laurel wreath, “ONE CENT” inscribed horizontally in middle, Chinese characters “洋元 一分” vertically crossing the English characters.  Below the wreath is value in Malay written in Jawi “س توسا”.  Encircled the wreath is “ BRITISH NORTH BORNEO Co”

Technical Details

Year of Mint : 1882- 1907

	½¢	1¢
1882
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1894
1896
1907

Value : ½ cent, 1 cent

Composition : Bronze

Diameter : 23.5mm, 29.6mm

Weight : 4.60g, 9.25g

Mint :Heaton & Sons, Birmingham

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In 1903-1904, the bronze coins were replaced with copper-nickel coins.  ½¢ coins were discontinued.  2½¢ & 5¢ were introduced 1n 1903.  New copper-nickel 1¢ coins were struck in 1904.  Apparently, the amount of the new coins were sufficed until 2 decades later in 1921 when a new batch were minted.

A 25¢ cents of silver coin were struck only in 1929.

All North Borneo coins were discontinued to be legal tender in 1941 with Japanese invasion.  During the Japanese occupation, paper money was issued in denominations ranging from 1 cent to 1000 dollars.  After the surrender of the Japanese in 1945, North Borneo coins regain their position as legal tender.

In 1953, all North Borneo coins were demonetized when Malaya and British Borneo dollar was introduced.

Description

Observe :

Shield of North Borneo Chartered Company , with “Pergo et Perago” which means “I undertake and I achieve” inscribed on banner.  A mint mark “H” inscribed at bottom of shield.

Reverse :

Within  a circle of beads, ‘value’ inscribed in numeric followed by “”CENT or “CENTS”.    Below is ‘year of mint’.  Encircled by “STATE OF NORTH BORNEO”.

Technical Details

Year of Mint : 1903 - 1941

	1¢	2½¢	5¢	25¢
1903
1904
1920
1921
1928
1929
1935
1938
1941

Value : 1 cent, 2½ cents, 5 cents & 25 cents

Composition : Copper-Nickel ( 1¢, 2½¢, 5¢ ) & Silver ( 25¢ )

Diameter : 20.0mm, 24.5mm, 28.1mm & 18.0mm

Weight : 3.30g, 4.90g, 7.30g & 2.83g

Mint :Heaton & Sons, Birmingham