VOC - Ceylon. Halve Larijn of 4 - 3/4 Stuiver z.j. (1785)

According to the experts, this concerns a locally struck piece of 92 mm and NOT an original specimen of Japanese rod copper with flattened ends. The authentic Halve Larijnen were soon forged and therefore demonetized. Almost the entire ammunition came back but the forgeries, of course, not. Most detected forgeries nowadays concern modern 20th-century easily recognizable imitations; this contemporary piece, on the other hand, does have collector value.

Because of Tom Passon’s book there is still some doubt for us to simply regard this piece as a forgery. The style, finish, and typeface are in line with the quarter stiver or Doedoes z.j. 1783 from Jaffnapatnam (Passon 53.12). These coins were often crude and handmade (so-called 'bonken' or emergency coins), provided with simple stamps to guarantee the value and origin, and this therefore makes us more suspect that it is indeed a legal tender, but then a precursor of the 'original' specimens from 1785.

Front: 4¾ ST - VOC monogram with C above
Reverse: 4¾ ST - VOC monogram with C above

Material: Copper - Cu 95.8% Silver - Ag 0.2% Lead - Pb 1.2% Iron - Fe 2.5% and Bismuth - Bi 0.3% (per XRF measurement)
Weight: 68.52 grams
Reference: cf. Scholten 1295c / cf. KM 32
Quality: VF

Extra info
Due to the war threat with the English, all silver money disappeared from circulation. Reason for the VOC board in Ceylon to manufacture halven larijnen from available Japanese copper rod. The silver larijn traded at a rate of 9½ stuivers, hence the somewhat odd denomination of 4¾ stuivers. The bars of Japanese copper were longer than needed for a half larin, so they were cut into pieces (as with ‘bonken’ has happened) and provided with a stamp at the ends. Authentic specimens will therefore at least show a cut termination at one of the ends.

This lot is offered in our special SSA Numistrust selection auction, this special semi-monthly auction ends after the weekly auction on Tuesday.
This special Single Seller Auction includes the Netherlands, VOC and overseas territories.

Also view our other offered lots on Catawiki : https://www.catawiki.com/en/u/29383408-numistrust-de-numismaat

The quality designation is the professional assessment of Numistrust / the Numismaat, but inspect the images carefully for your own impression.

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