SINGAPORE COPPER COCK TOKENS.

Singapore Copper Cock Tokens





Singapore Copper Cock Tokens
Mahadevan Collection.

Many other tokens circulated in the Straits and neighbouring territories. One of the most intriguing issue consisted of copper cents know as cock tokens, because the obverse featured a large spurred fighting-cock. The reverse was inscribed "Susu" in Arabic, with the date 1804 in the European calendar. Susu was a port on the west coast of Sumatra, in the kingdom of Acheen, where American had established a base.
  At about 1831-2 British merchants produced their own version of the cock tokens, in denominations of 1 and 2 kepings for trade in Sumatra and Celebes. The British cock tokens were much smaller, better struck and had rather emaciated bird on the obverse with Jawi insciption "Tanah Melayu" (Land of the Malays) round the top. The reverse bore the date 1247AH. Both coins were normally issued in copper, but proofs are know in copper or bronze.


Singapore Copper Cock Tokens
Mahadevan Collection.

There are numerous minor varieties of these later cock tokens, notably in the position and number of the tail feathers. Moreover the reverse may be found with the original 1219 AH or impossible 1411 AH dates. There is an interesting error showing the date 1241 instead of 1247, the engraver having failed to cut the final Arabic numeral properly.

 Cock tokens may also be found with a reverse showing a star of 16 rays and an insciption round the circumference in Bugis characters "Wanoewa tana Oegi, sedi keping" (Land of the Ugi, one keping) and dated 1250 AH (1834-5). The Malays nicknamed these tokens "duit bunga tanjong" (cape flower coins), from the resemblance of the star motif to the sweetly scented flower Mimusops elengi.
 
 The legand "Land of the Ugi" (i.e. the Bugis state in Celebes) was deliberately adopted to avoid Dutch sanctions, as the Bugis were outside the jurisdiction of the Dutch at that time.   The same inscription was adopted by Christopher Rideout Read, then one of the leading entrepreneurs in Singapore, who even went so far as to include his name on the obverse. His tokens show a cock facing left, standing on a rectangular base inscribed in incuse lettering C.R.READ. This is much sought after token, but it also exists in copper or bronze proof versions.



Singapore Copper Cock Tokens
Mahadevan Collection.

From 1831 onwards the merchants of Singapore began issuing kepings specifically inscribed with the names of the Malay states in which they mainly traded. These tokens had no pictorial motifs, apart from small multi-rayed stars at the top and bottom of the obverse, flanking the name if the state in Arabic script. The reverse bore the value and the Muslim date. Tokens of this type may be found with the names of Percha, Acheen, Tarumon, Dilli, Menangkabau, Siak, Perak, Selangor, Trengganu or Ugi. Some tokens were merely inscribed "Tanah Melayu".

RSP:RM350.00 to RM1800.00/UNC.