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1 Stuiver 'Cayenne-stuiver' Countermark C12 incuse - French Occupation
| Issuer | Saint Eustatius |
|---|---|
| Year | 1797 |
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| Shape | Round |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents the obverse face of the original French Guiana 2 sous host coin, showing a laureate royal portrait in the central field, heavily worn and partially obscured by the striking of the countermark. The surrounding peripheral legend reads '· DE · 2 · FR · ET DE NAV ·', a partial rendering of the standard French royal inscription, with a date partially visible in the lower exergue area. The surface exhibits wear consistent with extensive circulation both before and after countermarking. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
When French forces under Victor Hugues occupied Saint Eustatius in 1797, the island's chronic small-change shortage required an immediate solution. Captured or locally circulating stuivers were counterstamped with an incuse "C" — referencing Cayenne, the administrative hub of French Guiana — to validate them as currency under the new occupation authority. The practice of countermarking existing billon coinage rather than shipping new specie from France was common across French Caribbean possessions in this period, where the logistics of monetary supply lagged badly behind military control.