2017-09-23 Sat

Prevention is better than cure and that’s what the leprosy colony money is all about, it is special money that is only circulated in leprosy sanatoriums. It was introduced in order to prevent leprosy bacteria from spreading to healthy people. However, many people are not aware of how leprosy spreads. People can get the disease only if they are in intimate contact with leprosy sufferers and not otherwise.

The system of special colony money was used between 1901 and around 1955.The original reason for leprosy colony money was the prevention of leprosy in healthy persons. In 1938, Dr Gordon Alexander Ryrie in Malaysia proved that the paper money was not contaminated with leprosy bacteria and all the banknotes were burned in that country.

The oldest known special money was made in 1901 for use in three leper colonies of Colombia, called Agua de Dios, Cano de Loro and Contratación.

Five kinds of coins were known, with 2.5 centavos, 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 20 centavos, and 50 centavos. "República de Colombia 1901" was engraved. These coins were issued after the first leprosy congress in Berlin in 1897.

Special coins were used in a Panama Canal Zone leprosy colony between 1919 and 1952 and they were called Seco Colony. One cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents and one dollar coins were made in the United States, with one hole in the coins.

In 1913, aluminium coins were minted in Manila for use in the Philippines leprosy colonies. In 1947, consequently to Japanese occupation during WW II, paper money was issued inside the Culion colony.

In 1919, special coins were made in Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium, and later in other sanatoriums in Japan. It is surprising that the government didn’t issue special money but the sanatoriums of Japan did. When patients were hospitalized, their money was changed for special money, so that this system was used also for the strengthening of segregation. In some sanatoriums, special money served as allowances for poor patients. By 1955, this system had been discontinued in Japan, in some cases initiated by crimes.

In 1936, 5 cents, 10 cents and 1 dollar notes were issued in the Sungei Buloh Settlement in Malaysia, printed in four languages. The Director, Dr Gordon Alexander Ryrie, sent the special banknotes for assessment and it was proved that the notes were not contaminated. All special banknotes were burned in a bonfire in that country in 1938.

Leprosy colony money is also known to have existed in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Korea, Nigeria, Thailand and Venezuela.