STRAITS SETTLEMENTS COINS OF 1845

The first set of coins issued in 1847 and dated 1845 as currency for the Straits Settlement states of Singapore, Malacca, Penang Island, Province Wellesley and Labuan are the copper coins with denominations of ¼ cent, ½ cent and one cent.

The ¼ cent coin measures 18mm in diameter, weighs 2.33 grams with a William Wyon depiction of Queen Victoria on the obverse. The reverse depicts the  myrtle wreath  with  the wording  'EAST INDIA COMPANY' hovering the top,  the figure '¼ cent' inscription inside and the date 1845 lingering at the base centre of the coin just below the wreath. A total of 34,327,247 pieces were minted then.

The ½ coin with a diameter of 22.5 mm weighing 4.66 grams carries similar details and setting as the quarter cent coin was minted in a smaller quantity of 18,737,498 pieces.

A total of 18,525,893 of the 1 cent coin with a diameter of 29.0 mm weighing 9.33 grams each were minted for circulation.

These coins were issued by the East India Company and still easily available at reasonable prices from currency dealers.

As a matter of interest, in 1845 too, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, financed by a state loan, established the first Glasshutte watch making factory, setting the famous history of the illustrious German brand of fine, luxurious and grand time pieces in the world of watches.