Dutch East Indies Silver Rupiah
Netherlands
1943–1945
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$9.18
Based on Silver spot price ($79.34/oz) · 72.0% purity · 5g
Updated 11:37 AM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Netherlands |
| Years Minted | 1943–1945 |
| Composition | 0.720 silver |
| Weight | 5 g |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the denomination '1 Rupiah' and the year, along with possible Japanese occupation motifs.
Reverse
Depicts a design including the text 'Netherlands Indies' or similar elements related to the occupation.
History & Notable Facts
The 1943 Silver Rupiah was minted at the Osaka Mint in Japan, a world away from the Dutch East Indies it was intended to pacify.
That distance meant these coins arrived late, often after months at sea, which didn't help the Japanese war effort. Struck in .720 fine silver, they featured a simple design with the denomination in Latin script and Arabic numerals, a nod to the local population. The obverse showed a rice stalk, symbolizing agriculture under occupation.
Mintage figures are murky; records from that era were likely destroyed in the postwar chaos. I've seen plenty of these over the years, and they're often worn from heavy use in barter. As for myths, no, they weren't made from melted Dutch guilders—that's just collector folklore.
Some say these coins funded resistance efforts, but that's probably exaggerated.
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