Question on Malaya coins 1943-1945

Started by Harry, March 24, 2013, 11:38:26 PM

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Harry


Here is my Malaya 1943 20 Cents. This coin was minted by the Royal Mint in England. My question is this coin must have only circulated in 1945 and later, is this correct? As  from 1942-1945 Malaya and Singapore was occupied by the Japanese.  When were these released for circulation?

Collector of British India, Straits Settlements, Malaya, East Africa coins and papermoney

Figleaf

The Straits Settlements and adjoining areas were invaded in 1942. Apart from parts of Borneo, they saw no further military action until the Japanese collapse in the third quarter of 1945. The coins of Malaya were demonitised in 1952. They can therefore have circulated only in the period 1946-1952.

This period can be narrowed down with some guesswork. My late father-in-law was an inmate in a Japanese prison camp in what is now Indonesia. Upon the end of the war, the British military transported him to Changi prison. Security became increasingly lax, enabling him to visit surrounding kampongs. He was released in Singapore in early 1947. I interviewed him on money in circulation. According to his recollection, coins disappeared from circulation in the first days of the occupation. The Japanese made no effort to supply coins. Neither did the British at the end of the war. He did not remember any coins of Malaya when I showed them to him.

I think it is safe to assume the coins did not circulate widely in 1946, though allied soldiers may have had them. This makes all the more sense because in other theatres, silver coins brought by allied troops are known to have been hoarded upon release.

At the same time, worn coins of Malaya are known and the type is common, so they must have circulated a few years. I think they are likely to have started circulating by 1947, or 1948 at the latest.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Harry

Thanks Peter for sharing your own personal experience with this topic.  Just out of curiosity you said that your late father-in-law was an inmate in the Japanese prison camp and then at the end of the war he was transferred to Changi Prison (Singapore) by the British. Why wasn't he released at the end of WWII? Why did he have to go to Changi Prison? I'm guessing then that he was not a POW?

The Japanese invasion explains why these coins did not circulate during the period of issue.   Your explanation of hoarding makes sense as coins issued in 1943 and 1945 under the Commission of Currency Malaya are readily available in choice grades like mine, however, earlier dates are very scarce/rare/expensive in choice grades today.  I would speculate that much of these coins (1943-1945) were never released for circulation by the Royal mint and probably sold by the mint to collectors at a very late date. Again this is just speculation on my part, but could explain why these silver gems are not expensive today.

I am beginning to research and learn about Straits Settlements and Malaya coins and currency, although as far as starting a collection today in the grades that I want, it seems very tough, if not impossible.  I have been told that "I'm too late"  looks like the Straits / Malaya collecting train left the platform 5-8 years ago! Prices are very very high now.  Well, at least I can now do some reading and research in this area.  I have much to learn and much to read.
Collector of British India, Straits Settlements, Malaya, East Africa coins and papermoney

FosseWay

The situation is complicated by the fact that the 1948-52 "silver" coins of Malaya are in fact Cu-Ni, as they were changed around the same time as UK homeland and certain other empire coinages changed. Therefore the silver issues probably circulated very little, since any silver in use at the time when the Cu-Ni replacements hit the streets would have quickly been squirrelled away.

As to the status of Peter's father-in-law, I suspect the reason for the slightly odd-sounding move between prisons is that he (Peter's father-in-law) was fighting for or otherwise active on behalf of neither the Japanese nor the Dutch nor the British but the Indonesian independence movement. Am I warm?

Figleaf

I think the earlier years were issued in quantity, as they are easy to find. Indeed, hoarding preserved the low silver content coins.

As for my father-in-law and his camp buddies, I have never found any form of logic in their continued incarceration. He deeply resented the episode, especially as in the first few weeks, the British military told the Japanese camp guards to stay on (armed) duty, which he took as a personal affront. He was not a POW, but a customs official, mixed blood, fiercely incorruptible, conservative, bureaucratic and unconditionally loyal to the Dutch government, that used people of mixed descent as second tier civil servants. The supporters of independence were generally full blood locals and not locked up by the Japanese. If the British were looking for subversives and communists, they should have looked on the other side of the fence.

I think it is significant that once they were in Singapore, no one knew what to do with them and there were fewer and fewer guards. Best I can think of is a military muck-up. They happen.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

FosseWay

Quote from: Figleaf on March 25, 2013, 08:10:21 PM
Best I can think of is a military muck-up.

Seems I was over-thinking the whole thing. Hadn't considered the simplest explanation!  :)

malj1

A good book on the subject is Coins and Coinages of the Straits Settlements and British Malaya 1786 to 1951 Including Tokens issued by the Merchants of Singapore, 1828-1853 by Major F. Pridmore.

Although it only has a brief mention of this 1943 second issue, he says "Authorised by the Malayan Planning Unit set up in London in 1943. Struck in the Royal Mint London and the Indian Mint Bombay. Weights, sizes and design of the silver coins remained the same as those of the first issue but the standard of the fineness was reduced to 500. The bronze one cent was reduced in size and weighed 65 grains (4.21grammes)" He then gives two dates 1943 and 1945.
Malcolm
Have a look at  my tokens and my banknotes.

Harry

Quote from: malj1 on March 25, 2013, 10:15:58 PM
A good book on the subject is Coins and Coinages of the Straits Settlements and British Malaya 1786 to 1951 Including Tokens issued by the Merchants of Singapore, 1828-1853 by Major F. Pridmore.

Although it only has a brief mention of this 1943 second issue, he says "Authorised by the Malayan Planning Unit set up in London in 1943. Struck in the Royal Mint London and the Indian Mint Bombay. Weights, sizes and design of the silver coins remained the same as those of the first issue but the standard of the fineness was reduced to 500. The bronze one cent was reduced in size and weighed 65 grains (4.21grammes)" He then gives two dates 1943 and 1945.

Thanks for the quote from Pridmore.  From Krause, the 1945 20 cents were also issued by the Bombay mint with a I as the mint mark. They are very rare. The ones without the mint mark (like mine) were issued by the Royal mint and they are very common.

Quote from: FosseWay on March 25, 2013, 06:20:05 PM
The situation is complicated by the fact that the 1948-52 "silver" coins of Malaya are in fact Cu-Ni, as they were changed around the same time as UK homeland and certain other empire coinages changed. Therefore the silver issues probably circulated very little, since any silver in use at the time when the Cu-Ni replacements hit the streets would have quickly been squirrelled away.

Good point.  From researching this period a little more I find that the Japanese did not introduce any coins but rather there own currency which are commonly referred to as Japanese Invasion Money (JIM).  In this region the notes are also known a banana money.



These were produced by the Japanese at will and hyper inflation set in making the banana money  worthless. All the Straits Settlements and Malaya coins and currency were used in the black market. 


Collector of British India, Straits Settlements, Malaya, East Africa coins and papermoney

malj1

The quote from Pridmore implies that both dates of all denominations 20, 10, 5, and 1cent were issued from both mints without saying so in so many words.

The ten dollar note you show has a large bunch of bananas hanging to RHS of text in panel - hence the name.
Malcolm
Have a look at  my tokens and my banknotes.

malj1

Here is another quote from Pridmore Ibid which sheds a little more light. [OCR scan]

Second Issue, 1943. In 1943, as the progress of the war became clearer, and
having in view the chaotic conditions which it was certain would he found in
Malaya and other Japanese occupied areas when they were liberated, the British
Government began to prepare comprehensive plans for their administration.
Three special planning units were set up in London in 1943, for Malaya,
Hongkong and Borneo. The object of these units was to ensure the smooth
running of the Military Administration, and the preparation of plans for the
eventual return to Civil Government. Among the many requirements considered
necessary by the Malayan Planning Unit was the provision of adequate coin,
and the Royal Mint commenced a silver and bronze coinage in anticipation of
the end of hostilities.
A change in the silver content of the coins was effected at the same time. The
importance of conserving supplies of silver caused the fineness of the Malayan
silver to be reduced from 750 to 500, and the coins were struck in the
quaternary alloy of the imperial silver coinages, 500 parts silver, 400 copper, 50
nickel and 50 zinc. The opportunity was also taken to reduce the size and
weight of the bronze one-cent piece. It was also necessary to change the
composition of the bronze. In 1942 the progress of the Japanese invasion
threatened a substantial part of the world's tin supply, and consideration was
given to methods of reducing the Royal Mint's requirements of that metal for
coinage, thus releasing the available supplies for war purposes. Accordingly, on
14th April, 1942, the percentage of tin in the Imperial bronze was reduced from
3 per cent to a half per cent. From 1922/23 to 1941 the proportion of metals in
the Imperial bronze coin had been 95½ per cent copper, 3 per cent tin 1½ per
cent zinc. With the reduction of the tin content now effected the Composition
became 97 per cent copper 2½ per cent zinc and ½ per cent tin. Other
governments which obtained their coins from the London mint agreed to adopt
the same standard, and the Malayan bronze issues struck during the years 1943
-45 are of this new alloy. On 15th November, 1945, when the economy of tin
had ceased to be a critical consideration, the pre-war composition was
resumed. The dies of the obverse for the new reduced cent were produced
from a 10-cent Newfoundland punch with the inscription removed, new
inscriptions for the obverse and reverse being cut in by hand.
Additions to the stocks of Malayan coins accumulating at the Royal Mint in
preparation for the Japanese surrender continued during 1944, the coins bearing
the date of the previous year, 1943. D-day came in August, 1945, and Malaya
was immediately placed under a British Military Administration and remained so
until the 1st April, 1946, when the Civil Government resumed power. The
accumulated stocks of coin minted in 1943 and 1944 were issued on re-
occupation, and new coins were struck bearing the date 1945. An issue of 5-
cent pieces was also coined in 1945 at the Indian Government Mint, Bombay,
these being again distinguished by the mint mark "I" on the reverse.
In the following year (1946) the balance of orders placed in 1945 for the bronze
one-cent and silver 5- and 10-cents was completed. Of these coins the bronze
one-cent was struck at the Royal Mint, while the two silver denominations were
manufactured at the Indian Government Mint, Bombay. All three denominations
bear the date 1945. In the case of the 10-cent value, no distinguishing mark
occurs to denote that the coin was struck in India: the 5-cent piece continued to
bear the mint mark "I".
Malcolm
Have a look at  my tokens and my banknotes.