Scarce 1/2 stuiver, Louis Napoleon, Java, 1810, French interregnum in Java (KM 229)

Star above JAVA, date (1810) with Z below / Star above monogrammed LN (for "Louis Napoleon"), 1/2 - St. in fields. 28mm, 5.22 grams. Batavia (Jakarta) mint. Krause #228; Numista #88130.

The Z on the reverse is for the mintmaster of Surabaya J. A. Zwekkert.

During the Napoleonic wars in Europe, the Netherlands fell to France, as did its colony in the East Indies. 1810-11 were turbulent years for Java, starting under French rule with the puppet government of the Kingdom of Holland under Louis Napoleon (brother of Napoleon I and father of Napoleon III) until his abdication in 1810 in favor of his second son, Napoleon Louis Bonaparte. In 1811, Java was captured by the British, becoming a possession of the British Empire. The British East India Company administered the Island of Java from 1811-1816, which was returned to the Dutch in 1814 under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.

Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (2 September 1778 - 25 July 1846), King of Holland (180610), known as Lodewijk Napoleon in Dutch. His brother was the first Emperor of the French, Napoleon I, and his son was the last, Napoleon III. Louis was installed by his brother as King of the Netherlands in 1806, but because of disagreements over a number of issues, Napoleon actually invaded Holland on 1 July 1810, forcing Louis to abdicate the same day in favour of his son, Napoleon Louis Bonaparte, who reigned as Louis II for only eight days before Napoleon annexed Holland to France on 9 July.