Monday, August 20, 2007

Straits Dollar 1907



The British Trade Dollar was issued from around 1895 to 1935. This coin was quite popular and used in Singapore and Hongkong to stop other countries' silver dollars from being circulated in British colonies. This coin was known as Ringgit Tongkat in Malaya.

The above coin was used from 1903 onwards when the British Trade Dollar was demonitized (but it remained widely used in Borneo). The only difference between the coin above and that of the trade dollar was the front. The British Trade Dollar had a lady holding a staff. The reverse is the same. This particular example was of a reduced size. In 1903 and 1904, the coins produced were the same as that of the British Trade Dollar. In 1907 and 1908, it was reduced as the price of silver fluctuates. The coin was made of .925 silver.

3 comments:

Ydiana said...

Hello
If I may ask, how much is this coin worth now? TQ!

Unknown said...

Hi,
I represent the E&O Hotel of Penang who is publishing a 192-page book on the history of the hotel. Would you allow us to publish your image of the Straits dollar (back and front) in our book? If so, we would gladly give you a photo credit. Please quickly contact me at tan.lilian@gmail.com so we are about to go to print. Thanks.

areca-nut, heritage blogger said...

In 1910, Sun Yat Sen gave a speech in Penang and the followers raised 8,000 straits dollars on the spot. Do you know how much would that be the equivalent of today? In US$, British Pounds or Malaysian Ringgit...

Khoo Salma