Netherlands Indian gulden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The gulden was the currency of the Netherlands Indies until 1949. It was equal to the Dutch gulden for most of its existence.

Contents

[edit] History

Until 1802, the Netherlands Indies gulden was subdivided into 20 stuiver, each of 4 duit, as in the Netherlands. However, in 1802, the local stuiver was devalued, such that 24 stuiver = 1 gulden. A further devaluation occurred in 1817, resulting in relationships of 120 duit = 30 stuiver = 1 gulden. The gulden replaced the Javan rupee in 1816 and the Sumatran dollar in 1824.

In 1833, the duit was replaced by the cent, but the currency system was not decimalized, i.e., there were 120 cent to the gulden. Only in 1854 was the cent revalued to create a system of 100 cent = 1 gulden.

In 1942, the Japanese government began issuing paper money denominated in gulden for use in the Netherlands Indies. The gulden was replaced by the roepiah at par in 1944.

The gulden reappeared (again equal to the Dutch gulden) in the issues of the Javanese Bank and the Dutch government between 1945 and 1949. The Javanese Bank issues also called the currency the rupiah. In 1949, the Indonesian rupiah became the sole currency of Indonesia.

In West New Guinea, the Dutch remained in power until 1962 and the West New Guinea gulden circulated there, replacing the older gulden at par.

[edit] Coins

Coins were issued for use in the Netherlands Indies by some of the Dutch provinces, including Gelderland, Holland and Overijssel, and the United East India Company (VOC) until the early 19th century. Denominations included copper ½ and 1 duit and silver 10 stuiver, 1 and 3 gulden. The VOC also issued silver ½ and 1 rupee coins.

Between 1801 and 1809, copper coins were issued in the name of the Batavian Republic, with the Kingdom of Holland also issuing copper coins between 1806 and 1810. From 1816, the Kingdom of the Netherlands issued coins, with copper ½ duit (⅛ stuiver), 1 duit (¼ stuiver) and ½ stuiver, and silver ¼, ½ and 1 gulden.

With decimalization in 1854, a new coinage was introduced, consisting of copper ½, 1 and 2½ cent and silver 1⁄20, 1⁄10 and ¼ gulden. These denominations continued to be issued until 1945, with the addition of 1 and 2½ gulden coins in 1943.

[edit] Banknotes

In 1815, the government issued notes in denominations of 1 up to 1000 gulden. The "Javansche Bank" began issuing notes in 1828, in denominations of 25 up to 1000 gulden. In 1832, two series of notes were issued by the bank, one redeemable in copper coins, the other redeemable in silver. The copper gulden was equal to 240 g copper. [1] A second series of notes redeemable in copper was issued in 1842, followed by a series of "recepis" (receipts) for which the copper notes were exchanged at a rate of 6 copper gulden to 5 recepis gulden.

Regular issues of paper money by the Javansche Bank recomenced in 1864. Denominations issued were 5, 25, 50, 100 and 500 gulden, with 1000 gulden added in 1873 and 10 gulden in 1890. Later notes included denominations of 30, 40, 200 and 300 gulden. Between 1919 and 1940, the government issued low value notes of ½, 1 and 2½ gulden

In 1942, the Japanese Government issued paper money in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 cents, ½, 1, 5 and 10 gulden. These were followed by the introduction of the Netherlands Indies roepiah in 1944.

The Dutch government printed a series of notes in 1943 which were introduced as the Allies liberated the Netherlands Indies from the Japanese. These were known as the "NICA gulden".

In 1946, the Javansche Bank resumed note production, with denominations issued of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 gulden (also written in Indonesian as roepiah). Further issues in 1948 were made of ½, 1 and 2½ gulden notes. These notes were known as the "Java rupiah".

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Currencies named guilder, florin or similar
Circulating
Obsolete
As a denomination
See also