Coin, 1/4 cent, Sarawak, 1863

1/4 Cent coin issued by James Brooke, White Rajah of Sarawak (now part of Malaysia) 1863 AD Mint: Heaton & Son, Birmingham, England "Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB (29 April 1803[1] - 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868.

Brooke was born and raised under the Company Raj of the British East India Company in India. After a few years of education in England, he served in the Bengal Army, was wounded, and resigned his commission. He then bought a ship and sailed out to the Malay Archipelago where, by helping to crush a rebellion, he became governor of Sarawak. He then vigorously suppressed piracy in the region and, in the ensuing turmoil, restored the Sultan of Brunei to his throne, for which the Sultan made Brooke the Rajah of Sarawak. Th expedition contributed to Wallace's natural history discoveries. In 1863, through his British agents Buchanan, Hamilton & Co. he arranged for copper coins with the denominations of 1/4, 1/2 and 1 Cent to be struck in Birmingham.

This was the only issue in his name. The Spanish dollar was the principle silver coin of the region at the time and the copper coins were fractions of it. This piece may be a cast copy. Round copper coin. Obverse depicts head of James Brooke facing left; around, J. BROOKE RAJAH Reverse depicts, within a laurel wreath 1/4 / CENT; around above, SARAWAK; below, 1863 Obverse: Head of James Brooke facing left; around, J. BROOKE RAJAH. Reverse: Within a laurel wreath 1/4 / CENT; around above, SARAWAK; below, 1863. Edge: Plain.