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1 Keping Sumatra
| Issuer | British East India Company |
|---|---|
| Year | 1804 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1783-1824) |
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| Obverse description | Imitation of the Arms of the British East India Company occupying the central field, rendered in a simplified manner characteristic of colonial token coinage. A Latin legend arcs above the shield, while a scroll beneath bears a meaningless decorative motto in imitation of heraldic tradition. The date 1804 appears in the exergue below the scroll. The entire design is enclosed within a border of beads. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The Keping was struck under Company authority for circulation in the Penang settlement and surrounding Sumatran trade networks, where the chronic shortage of small-denomination specie had long forced merchants to rely on tin ingots and ad-hoc tokens. The 1804 issue was among the earliest copper coins produced specifically for this region under British administration, following the Company's formal establishment at Penang — then called Prince of Wales Island — in 1786.
The multiple catalog references reflect decades of collector disagreement over attribution and series classification, with Schjöth, Pridmore, and KM each handling the Straits Settlements token coinage differently.