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1/2 Rupiah
| Issuer | Gubernur Sumatera (Governor of Sumatra), Republik Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Reddish-brown letterpress note with a decorative guilloche border framing the entire face. The large bold inscription 'SETENGAH' dominates the centre, with 'REPUBLIK INDONESIA' at the top and 'RUPIAH' below, flanked by a small vignette of traditional Sumatran architecture at lower left and a stylised palm tree at lower right. A boxed signature panel at right reads 'GUBERNUR SUMATERA' with a manuscript signature and the date 'B. TINOGI · 17 · 8 · 1947', while the inscription 'PROPINSI SUMATERA' appears along the bottom margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIK INDONESIA SETENGAH RUPIAH GUBERNUR SUMATERA PROPINSI SUMATERA B. TINOGI · 17 · 8 · 1947 ½ |
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| Comments |
The Governor of Sumatra's authority to issue currency in 1947 was not merely administrative convenience — it reflected a genuine rupture in the young Republic's ability to govern from Jakarta. Dutch military pressure during the first "Police Action" of that year isolated much of the outer island infrastructure, forcing regional administrations to print their own emergency money. Bukittinggi, then functioning as the de facto capital of Republican Sumatra, became a printing center by necessity.
The S-prefix in the Pick reference signals its regional emergency status. These Sumatran gubernatorial notes circulated in parallel with central Republican issues, and the half-rupiah denomination targeted the smallest everyday transactions in a wartime economy running largely on barter.