Essequibo & Demerary ND (1808) 3 bitts
The Essequibo and Demerary were originally two of three Dutch colonies along the coast of present-day Guyana. They were seized by the British to avoid having them fall into French hands after the French invasion of the Netherlands. They remained in British control through the 1830's, at which point the Netherlands and Great Britain formally divided the region between them, the British taking over the western portion. The eastern portion became Dutch Guiana, and eventually, Surinam.
The coin shown is an example of the first colonial currency, not dated but authorized for issue in 1808. It is the punched-out center of a large silver coin, most probably a Spanish colonial eight reales. It was lot 20527 and sold on Jan 3, 2010 at the 2010 January Signature World Coin Auction #3008 for $5,175. The catalog description reads: "George III of England 3 Bitts ND (1808), toned XF, deeply struck on a uniface serrated circular segment of a Spanish colonial 8 Reales, very rare. This issue was approved in 1808 by the Court of Policy and was the equivalent of 15 Pence."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.903 fine silver; this specimen 4.59 grams.
Catalog reference: Pridmore 3, KM 1.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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