Malaya Old Currency : 1939-1953 Malayan Dollar ( King George VI )

Brief History

The Malayan dollar was the currency of the British colonies and protectorates in Malaya and Brunei from 1939 until 1953.

The Malayan dollar was issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya.  

The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya, came into being in October 1938 following the Blackett Report which recommended that the sole power of issuing currency for the various Malay States, including Brunei, and the Straits Settlements should be entrusted to a pan-Malayan Currency Commission.

In 1952 the board was renamed the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Malaya and British Borneo.

Coinage History

Coins were issued between 1939 and 1950 in denominations of square shaped ​½¢ and 1¢in bronze, and round 5¢, 10¢ and 20¢ (silver until 1945, and cupro-nickel from 1948).

These all had the same designs and appearance of previous Straits Settlements coinage, which they replaced. The 1¢ coins were reduced in size in 1943 due to cost and wartime materials shortages while the ​½¢ were discontinued after 1940, even though they continued to be legal tender. All coins of this series depict King George VI. Older Straits coinage also continued to circulate alongside though silver pieces of both types quickly began to disappear.

Coins

King George V

“George VI, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith”

“George VI, Dei Gratia Magnae Britanniae, Hiberniae et terrarum transmarinarum quae in ditione sunt Britannica Rex, Fidei Defensor”

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

½¢	1¢	5¢	10¢	20¢
1940	1939-1941	1939-1941	1939-1941	1949
Bronze	Bronze	Silver 0.75	Silver 0.75	Silver 0.75
2.91g	5.83g	1.36g	2.71g	5.43g
18.5mm	21.5mm	16.0mm	18.0mm	23.2mm
		1943-1945	1943-1945	1943-1945
		Silver 0.50	Silver 0.50	Silver 0.50
		1.41g	2.71g	5.43g
		16.2mm	18.0mm	23.2mm
		1948-1950	1948-1950	1948-1950
		Cu-Ni	Cu-Ni	Cu-Ni
		1.41g	2.82g	5.65g
		16.2mm	19.5mm	23.5mm

	½¢	1¢	5¢	10¢	20¢
1939
1940		√
1941		√
1942
1943		√
1944
1945		√
1946
1947
1948			√	√
1949
1950				√

New Zealand Coins : Fractional System

The early years

In early 1840, Captain William Hobson, RN, the first Governor of New Zealand, extended British laws to New Zealand. This meant that certain sections of the Imperial Coinage Act, 1816 (UK) became relevant to the new colony. This allowed for the standard gold, silver and bronze British coins to circulate freely in New Zealand alongside the existing variety of foreign coins. British coins were made legal tender in terms of the above act by the passing of the English Laws Act in 1858.

In the 1840s and 1850s there was an extreme shortage of coins, especially copper coins. Traders tried the issue of low value paper notes to remedy this situation but this was soon abandoned. Instead, as this shortage intensified throughout the 1850s, businesses in Auckland and Dunedin decided to issue their first copper tokens in 1857. In all, 48 traders (mostly retailers) issued their own penny and half-penny tokens. This practice survived until 1881 with their use gradually declining in the 1880s.

In 1897, New Zealand's currency became subject to certain provisions stated in the Imperial Coinage Act, 1870 (UK). This meant that only British coin became the official legal tender coin of the colony. At that time, it was already one of the two ‘common' currencies, along with Australian minted gold sovereign and half sovereign coins.

In 1914, the gradual withdrawal of gold coin from circulation took place.

Silver coin was debased from .925 fine (Sterling Silver) to .500 fine in 1920.

New Zealand’s own currency

By 1933, it was obvious that something had to be done about the coin smuggling and the shortage of lower denomination coins in New Zealand. It was decided that New Zealand should start issuing currency from a single bank. The New Zealand Numismatic Society suggested that New Zealand adopt a decimal system of coinage.

However a distinctive New Zealand coinage was introduced in 1933 based on a fractional system (the same as sterling). These new coins used the same weights, sizes and denominations as the British coins.

Bronze coins (penny and halfpenny) of British standard were not approved until 22nd December 1939. These were issued in 1940, at the time of the Centennial of New Zealand.

The Coinage Act, 1933 governed the currency, coinage and legal tender in New Zealand, and meant that British coin ceased to be legal tender as at 1st February 1935. New Zealand then became the last and most remote of the self-governing dominions of the British Commonwealth to introduce its own coinage.

The original designs

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Half-Crown   Ensigns armorial of the Dominion on their shield (quarterings depicting the Southern Cross, a wheat sheaf, a lamb suspended by a ribbon and mining hammers crossed divided by three ships) surmounted by the Royal Crown and surrounded by ornamentation inspired by Maori carvings

Florin            A kiwi (bird) facing left

Shilling          A figure of a Maori warrior in warlike attitude carrying a 

                    taiaha

Sixpence        A huia (bird) perched on a branch

Threepence   Two carved patu (Maori weapons) crossed with lanyards or throngs attached,  with "3d" between their blades

Penny           A tui (bird) perched in a setting of yellow kowhai blossoms

Halfpenny     A Maori Hei-tiki (Maori charm) with Maori ornamental scrolls 

                   on each side

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In 1947 the issue of Cupro-Nickel coins replaced .500 fine silver coins. This proclamation was made under Section eight of the Coinage Act, 1933 and signed on 25th August 1947. Both metal types of coins were still considered to be legal tender. This change was due to the rising costs of mining and the price of silver.