Britain One Dollar 1902 Tradedollar KM# T5

[Medalstrike]

England had since the early 18th Century, trade with the Far East trade operated - it moved eastward,
established in 1819 in Singapore and 1842 in Hong Kong. Both were strategically important ports in world trade.
With the increase of British influence was the desire for a special Trade dollar
in order to achieve compliance with the dollar in the East. The production started in 1895th
The weight of the silver coin is exactly 26.9586 grams with a fineness of 900
and the diameter is about 39 millimeters. The obverse shows the standing Britannia with a trident and shield
in front of a sailing ship (a symbol of trade, so ONE DOLLAR),
The Case of the value of name in Chinese (characters for Yi Yuan) and Malay (Satu Ringgit)
in a flower-ornament, and both sides are bordered by a Mäanderband.
There occur later restrikes in gold and polished plate.
The mint mark of the mint is in the middle point of the trident.
'B' stands for Bombay
'C' stands for Calcutta
without mintmark stands for London (rather rare)
Unfortunately, many of these coins have been counterfeited. Distinctive features are for example a flatter topography,
a missing flag on the middle mast of the ship, false bow, the folds of the robe, etc.

One Dollar 1902 B
KM# T5

Dietmar

[Figleaf]

An important consideration for striking these coins was decolonization in Latin America. For centuries, Spanish and South American silver had been the currency of choice for international payments, much like the USD today. As the Spanish empire disintegrated, the Asian international payments market was up for grabs. Both the US and Britain tried to capture it with a silver coin. The US entry was too heavy and lost. The British entry coud maintain itself, first as a trade coin of one dollar (really a light version of the Spanish colonial 8 reales), subsequently as the Straits Settlements dollar.

Peter

[Kid Romeo]

Beautiful coin Dietmar. Thanks for sharing.

[BC Numismatics]

Dietmar,
  The British Trade Dollar not only circulated as a Straits Settlements $1 coin (which was originally the same size),but also as a Hong Kong $1.

The British Trade Dollar has never been listed in either the blue Coincraft or in Spink's,even though it is regarded as a British coin.

Aidan.

[andyg]

The British Trade Dollar has never been listed in either the blue Coincraft or in Spink's,even though it is regarded as a British coin.
Aidan.

That's because it didn't circulate in the UK.  The only dollars to do so were the Bank of England dollars.

[BC Numismatics]

Andy,
  The English 1601 8 Testerns also never circulated in England,yet it is listed in Spink's.

Aidan.

[UK Decimal +]

Let's all be open about this.   UK and Ireland is probably the wrong place to discuss this.   A day or so ago, I suggested that it might be a good idea to have a section where 'official' sites and publications can be questioned and this item seems to be getting to that stage.

Regarding the splendid coin illustrated, it has already been shown as not having been struck in the UK but in Bombay which might account for it not appearing in the catalogues referred to as 'Coincraft' and 'Spink'; likewise there are probably many things that do not appear in the Bible.   Further discussion on 'Coincraft' and 'Spink' would seem inappropriate here, as is my reference to the Bible.

I can assure everyone reading this that it is not a British 'coin' but a (general sense) 'colonial' one.   It was never intended for use in this country, nor was it struck here.    Presence or absence in a catalogue has no bearing on the subject.

Bill.

[BC Numismatics]

Bill,
  Some of the British Trade Dollars were actually struck at the Royal Mint,London.

That is one reason why they should be listed in Spink's as well as the blue Coincraft.

Aidan.

[UK Decimal +]

In that case, why not tell 'Spink' and 'Coincraft'.   I thought that we were meant to be discussing coins not catalogues in this section.

Bill.

[UK Decimal +]

Medalstrike,

Thank you for illustrating a splendid coin together with your description that goes with it.

Bill.

[Prosit]

I have always considered this type coin to be one of the better designed coins and I do have one, in spite of my last year silver coin sale off.  I have the 1912.

I have wanted to add another but have been lax about that.  I am not too concerned with what it is or is not officially...I personally consider it a British coin, presence or absence in a catalog not withstanding.

Others may wish to be more precise in their collecting...and that is, as we see, debatable.

Regardless, it looks good 

Dale

[Figleaf]

You have an excellent point, Dale. The one-to-one connection between coin and country is just false. There are so many examples: US coins circulated in Canada, Canadian coins in the US, VOC coins were money in South Africa, guineas all over the Middle East, MT Thalers in Africa, Dutch big silver in the Balkans, English coins in the colonies. Likewise, this coin was just a replacement for the "Calolo dollar" in areas that used it.

Peter

[<k>]

Does anybody know who designed the standing Britannia on the British trade dollar? It is reminiscent of George William de Saulles' design for the florin.

[translateltd]

Mr Google suggests de Saulles did both.  Both splendid designs, and my favourites in the entire UK series.

[malj1]

A complete list of trade dollars can be found in British Commonwealth Coins by Remick, James, Dowle and Finn; page 85 - 87

Bombay mint-mark, B on trident; Calcutta mint-mark C between left foot of Britannia and base of shield; London no mint-mark but only 1925 and 1930.

from above ref...
Lady Susan Hicks-Beach posed for Britannia for the artist De Saulles. she died in the latte 1950's.