Silver plated.
Mintage only 120 pcs
Fantasy coinage. Not in circulation.
The Republic of the South Moluccas (Indonian: Republik Maluku Selatan) is a state self-proclaimed in 1950 by separatists on the island of Ambon. There is currently a "government in exile" in the Netherlands. On December 27, 1949, the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies, with the exception of Dutch New Guinea (now West Irian, part of Indonesia), to the government of the United States of Indonesia. The South Moluccas at that time were part of the state of East Indonesia, which became part of the united Indonesian state. Despite the name of the new Indonesian state, its founder Sukarno wanted to make it unitary, not federal, without regard for religious and ethnic differences. In response, Christians living in the South Moluccas decided to secede from predominantly Muslim Indonesia. On April 25, 1950, the Republic of Maluku-Selatan was proclaimed in Ambon. On August 17, 1950, President Sukarno proclaimed the unitary Republic of Indonesia. In addition to the South Moluccans, representatives of some other territories also opposed Sukarno. After negotiations and a blockade, the Indonesian War began on September 28, 1950: Indonesian troops landed on Ambon Island. Through Dutch New Guinea (now West Irian, part of Indonesia), the separatists vainly appealed for military assistance to the Netherlands. About a month after the entry of the Indonesian troops, on November 5, 1950, the capital of the separatists, the city of Ambon, fell under their blows. The separatist government fled to the nearby island of Seram, where, under the leadership of Sumokil, a guerrilla war unfolded against the Indonesians. The Indonesian military arrested Sumokil on December 2, 1963 on Seram Island, after which the guerrilla war quickly ended. On March 11, 1966, General Suharto seized power in Indonesia, deposing Sukarno, and just a month later, on April 12, 1966, Sumokil was executed. After his death, Manusama, who lives in the Netherlands, was appointed as the new "president in exile", although his authority was challenged for several years by "general" Isaac Julius Tamaela.