Coins of Malaysia- Die Varieties by Saran Singh

                                                                                                                                                September  2013

Coins of Malaysia- Die Varieties and Varieties

by Saran Singh AMN, AMP, PNM

Introduction

In 1967, Malaysia's new 1st series coinage was issued which bore the well known Parliment House design on the obverse. In 1989, the 2nd series of the newly designed coins bearing various cultural motifs and the National Hibiscus Flower (Bunga Raya) came into circulation. These designs were finally replaced in 2012 with the current 3rd series.(However, for the record, beautifully struck Non Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) coins  of the 3rd series with the year date 2011 were issued in a folder for collecters. )uring this long period of 45 years, millions of coins were issued by Bank Negara Malaysia. For certain years, when the production of coinage was unusually large, new dies had to be prepared to replace the old worn out dies.  This sometimes resulted in minor differences in the general design of the lettering or date by the Engraver when the new dies were prepared.

Die Varieties

This article deals with the various Die Varieties that have occured on the coinage of Malaysia since 1967. As mentioned earlier, a Die Variety occurs when an alternate die is made which may have slight differences in the cutting of the letters, date or design.  Die Varieties must not  be confused with Error Coins, which occur due to a malfunction or careless mistake, that may occur during their manufacture at the Mint.

Varieties

The author has taken the liberty of including coins that are struck with a different metal content e.g. 1 sen 1973/1976 Copper and 1 sen 1973/1976 Copper Clad Steel which are also included even though these are not die varieties. These are basically two different metal content coins struck from the same die. These are listed as Varieties and must not be confused with the Die Varieties. Coins that have two different planchet variations e.g. 1 sen 1970 Flat Top Rim and Tappered Rim are also included. Another example is the 1 Sen 1991 with the edge of the coin in Copper as well as Copper Clad Steel.

Error Coins

The author has also included  error coins which are not within the preview of this article. However, some popular error coins like Malaysia 50 Sen 1979. DOT and 1988.  DOT as well as the Malaysian 5 sen 2009 Double Die (Twin Towers) and the Die Crack Error (1 1/2 Towers) are included for the sake of posterity.

There are likely to be other Die Varieties and Varieties which are not included below due to the lack of information. Readers of this article are invited to share their knowledge with the writer for the benefit of all Numismatists.

Parliament House- 1st Series Coins- Die Varieties

1 Sen 1970  Variety 1 - Copper,  Flat Top Rim

1 Sen 1970  Variety 2 - Copper, Tappered Edge

1 Sen 1970  Variety 3 - Copper Clad Steel, Tappered Edge, Pattern, RRR

1 Sen 1973 Die Variety 1 - Copper clad steel, evenly spaced date

1 Sen 1973 Die Variety 2 - Copper clad steel, figure 3 in date slightly apart

1 Sen 1973 Variety 3- Copper, evenly spaced date similar to Die Variety 1

1 Sen 1976 Variety 1 - Copper clad steel

1 Sen 1976 Variety 2- Copper. RR

1 Sen 1986 Variety 1 -  top part of figure 6 in date curved

1 Sen 1986 Variety 2 - top part of figure 6 in date straight

1 sen 1991 Variety 1 - Edge of coin copper and steel clad

1 Sen 1991 Variety 2 - Edge of coin copper clad

5 Sen 1982 - DOT or several DOTS at right of parliament house on obverse. This is a die gauge

                         Error and NOT a Die Varietly. This has occured due to a worn die which got from

                         bad to worse because of continuous usage during production at the mint.

10 Sen 1971 Variety 1- Milled Edge Flat

10 Sen 1971 Variety 2 - Milled Edge Rounded. Small DOT. in the letter L of Malaysia

10 Sen 1971 Variety 3 - Milled Edge Flat. The figure O of the denomination has been re-                         engraved and occurs with a small line within O, otherwise, this coin is similar to

                        Variety 1.

20 Sen 1973 Die Variety 1 - Figure 3 in date normal size

20 Sen 1973 Die Variety 2 - Figure 3 in date larger

50 Sen 1979 -DOT, Extra Dot at base of Parlaiment House. Die Gauage Error

50 Sen 1988- DOT, Extra at top right of Parliament House. Die Gauage Error

$1 1969 -10th Anniversary  of Bank Negara Malaysia

                Die Variety 1 - Flat Lettering (struck from PROOF coin Dies)

                Die Variety 2 - Round Lettering (struck from normal Dies)

$1 1971 - Parliment House

Die Variety 1 - Royal Mint. Letter M of Malaysia

Die Variety 2 - Shah Alam Mint. Letter M of Malaysia (variation in style of M)

Hibiscus Flower (Bunga Raya) 2nd Series coins - Die Varieties

1 Sen 1991 Variety 1- Edge copper and steel-clad

1 Sen 1991 Variety 2- Edge copper clad

1 Sen 2002 Die Variety 1 - Polen stem of Hibiscus Flower made up of dots in a arrow

                       formation. Figure 1of denomination thin

1 Sen 2002 Die Variety 2 - Polen stem with several lines ending with dots.

                      Figure 1 of denomination thin.

1 Sen 2002 Die Variety 3 - Polen stem with several lines ending with dots.

                       Figure 1 of denomination thick.

5 Sen 2007 Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus flower Type 1

5 Sen 2007 Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus flower Type 2

5 Sen 2009 Die Variety 1 - Single Tower

5 Sen 2009 Die Variety 2 - Error, Double Dies, Twin Towers

5 Sen 2009 Variety 3 - Error, Die Crack, 1 1/2 Towers

10 Sen 1991 Die Variety  1 - 1 marble in 2nd top left hole of chongkak

10 Sen 1991 Die Variety 2 - 3 marbles in 2nd top left hole of chongkak

10 Sen 1997 Variety 1

10 Sen 1997 Variety 2 - Proof - like

10 Sen 2002 Die Variety 1 - Polen stem of Hibiscus Flower ending with dots in an arrow formation

10 Sen 2002 Die Variety 2 - Polen stem of Hibiscus Flower ending with lines and dots

10 Sen 2007 Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus flower Type 1

10 Sen 2007 Die variety 2 - Hibiscus flower Type 2

10 Sen 2007 Die Variety 3 - Hibiscus flower Type 3

10 Sen 2007 Die Variety 4- Hibiscus Flower Type 4

10 Sen 2008 Die Variety 1 - 1 Marble in 2nd top left hole of chongkak

10 Sen 2008 Die Variety 2 - 3 marbles in 2nd top left hole of chongkak

10 Sen 2011 Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus flower Type 1 (Polen with thin stem)

10 Sen 2011 Die variety 2 - Hibiscus flower Type 2 (Polen with thick stem)

20 Sen 1989 Die Variety 1 -  Betel nut (Sireh)  leaves with straight stem

20 Sen 1989 Die Variety 2 -  Betel nut (Sireh)  leaves with bent stem

20 Sen 1990 Die Variety 1 -  Betel nut (Sireh) leaves with straight stem

20 Sen 1990 Die Variety 2 -  Betel nut (Sireh) leaves with bent stem

20 Sen 1997 Variety 1 -

20 Sen 1997 Variety 2 - PROOF-like

20 Sen 1998 Variety 1 -

20 Sen 1998 Variety 2 - PROOF-like

20 Sen 2002 Die Variety 1 - Polen stem of Hibiscus Flower ending with dots in an arrow formation

20 Sen 2002 Die Variety 2 - Polen stem of Hibiscus Flower ending with lines and dots

20 Sen 2007- Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus Flower Type 1

20 Sen 2007- Die Variety 2 - Hibiscus Flower Type 2

20 Sen 2007- Die Variety 3 - Hibiscus Flower Type 3

20 Sen 2007- Die Variety 4 - Hibiscus Flower Type 4

50 Sen 1998 Die Variety 1 - Normal size 8 in date

50 Sen 1998 Die Variety 2 - Large size 8 in date

50 Sen 2002- Die Variety 1 - Denomination 50 thinner

50 Sen 2002- Die Variety 2 - Denomination 50 thicker

50 Sen 2005- Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus Flower Type 1

50 Sen 2005- Die Variety 2 - Hibiscus Flower Type 2

50 Sen 2005- Die Variety 3 - Hibiscus Flower Type 3

50 Sen 2007 - Die Variety 1 - Hibiscus Flower Variety 1

50 Sen 2007 - Die Variety 2 - Hibiscus Flower Variety 2

$1 1992  Kris - Variety 1 - Rounded Rim, colour orange yellow

$1 1992  Kris - Variety 2 - Flat top Rim, colour yellow

$1              1993 Kris - Die Variety 1 - Denomination $1,              colour yellow

1 Ringgit 1993 Kris - Die Variety 2 - denomination 1 Ringgit, colour yellow

1 Ringgit 1994 Kris - Variety 1, Rounded Rim, colour orange yellow

1 Ringgit 1994 Kris - Variety 2, Flat Top Rim, colour yellow

1 Ringgit 1995 Kris - Variety 1, Rounded Rim, colour orange yellow

1 Ringgit 1995 Kris - Variety 2, Flat Top Rim, colour yellow

Note: The $1 Kris design coins are made up of 85% Copper, 10% Zinc and 5% Tin

            which gives it their golden colour.