½ Cent
Penang • ½ Cent • Copper • 1787
- Denomination
- ½ Cent
- Issuer
- Penang
- Struck
- 1787
- Composition
- Copper
- Currency
- Dollar
- Weight
- 4.27 g
- Diameter
- 22 mm
- Catalog refs
- Singh SS 11 · Pr 10 · C 273 · KM 2.1
Where to find one
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Where it came from
The 1787 Penang half cent was commissioned by the East India Company to facilitate trade in the newly established settlement on Prince of Wales Island, modern-day Penang. During this period, the company sought to establish a reliable currency system for the growing mercantile population, leading to the minting of copper coins that mirrored the established British colonial denominations while serving the specific needs of regional commerce.
The design of these early issues typically featured the East India Company bale mark on the obverse, a symbol representing the firm's authority and commercial reach. These pieces were manufactured in England by Soho Mint under the direction of Matthew Boulton, who utilized advanced steam-powered coinage technology to ensure consistency and prevent the rampant counterfeiting that plagued contemporary colonial currency.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About ½ Cent
½ Cent is a coin in the Coins catalog on collecto.rs. Penang • ½ Cent • Copper • 1787. Catalog data is sourced from Numista. No collectors on collecto.rs publicly track this coin yet — adding yours would make you the first.
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