Grenada (1818) bit KM-12
This specimen was lot 28131 in Heritage sale 3022 (New York, January 2013), where it sold for $3,055. The catalog description[1] noted, "British Colony Counterstamp 1 Bit No Date (ca. 1818), VG/F, countermark "GS G1" upon 1/3 cut of Spanish American 2 Reales. Very few coins were produced for Grenada." These colonial issues were cut from Spanish colonial silver circulating in the Caribbean. The British West Indies included Jamaica, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and the miscellaneous islands in between. Enormously prosperous in the eighteenth century, their economies would shrink considerably in the mid-nineteenth century with slave emancipation and the introduction of the sugar beet to Europe. The export oriented economy suffered recurring cash shortages.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: .892 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 12.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Byrne, Ray, Coins and Tokens of the Caribees, Decatur, IL: Jess Peters, Inc., 1975.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3021, featuring the Cecil Webster, Richard P. Ariagno and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2012.
Link to:
- Montserrat (1772-89) 12 dogs, countermarked on a cut 8 reales
- St. Kitts & Nevis No Date (1798) c/m 1 sous
- British West Indies 1822 1/16 dollar
- British West Indies 1822 1/8 dollar
- British West Indies 1822 1/4 dollar
- British West Indies 1822 1/2 dollar
- Coins and currency dated 1818
- return to coins of East Caribbean States