½ Cent
Penang • ½ Cent • Copper • 1810
- Denomination
- ½ Cent
- Issuer
- Penang
- Struck
- 1810
- Composition
- Copper
- Currency
- Dollar
- Weight
- 4 g
- Diameter
- 25 mm
- Catalog refs
- Singh SS 26 · KM 12 · C 291.1
Where to find one
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Where it came from
The 1810 half-cent coin from Penang was minted by the East India Company to facilitate commerce in the Prince of Wales Island, now known as Penang, Malaysia. During the early 19th century, the British East India Company required small-denomination currency to replace a chaotic mix of local and foreign tender, aiming to stabilize the regional economy and solidify its administrative control over the Straits Settlements.
The coin features a simple, functional design typical of the company's regional issues, prominently displaying the company's bale mark on the obverse. It was designed to be easily recognizable to the diverse merchant population in the region, serving as a standardized tool of trade. While these coins were utilitarian in their intent, they are now valued by numismatists for their representation of British mercantile expansion in Southeast Asia.
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 • 1810. 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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Where does the ½ Cent catalog entry come from?
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