Catalog
1/2 Guilder - George III
| Issuer | Demerara and Essequibo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1809 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Reverse description | Central denomination fraction 1/2 inscribed within an oval beaded inner circle, surmounted by a detailed royal crown above the numeral. The central device is flanked by two crossed laurel and oak branches forming a wreath, tied at the base. The date 1809 appears in the exergue below the wreath, while the outer legend COLONIES OF ESSEQUEBO & DEMARARY TOKEN runs around the full periphery. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Demerara and Essequibo were Dutch colonies seized by Britain in 1803 — part of the broader scramble for Caribbean possessions during the Napoleonic Wars — and the colonial administration faced an immediate problem: the existing Dutch currency stock was inadequate, and importing British coinage was slow and expensive. The 1809 issue was produced in London as a stopgap, struck specifically for local colonial circulation rather than as part of any broader currency reform.
The colony was formally ceded to Britain under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, making this a coin issued for a territory still in legal limbo at the time of striking.