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1/4 Rupee
| Issuer | Clunies-Ross Family (Private Issue) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, bearing no design, text, or ornamentation, consistent with the rudimentary production standards characteristic of this private Cocos (Keeling) Islands plantation currency. |
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| Signature(s) | George Clunies-Ross |
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| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Clunies-Ross family ran the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a private fiefdom from the mid-nineteenth century, and their scrip issues were the only currency accepted on the islands — redeemable solely at the family's own store. Workers, almost entirely Malay labourers brought in under indenture, had no practical means to convert or spend the tokens elsewhere. The system ensured economic captivity was built directly into the monetary structure.
By 1902, paper denominations had supplemented the earlier plastic and ivory token issues. George Clunies-Ross signed personally, which on an island of a few hundred people made the note something closer to a promissory letter than a banknote in any conventional sense.