Catalog
10 Joes / 220 Guilders
| Issuer | Colony of Demerara and Essequibo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1830-1839 |
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| Value | 10 Joes = 220 Guilders |
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| Obverse description | Hand-cut rectangular note on plain paper bearing the dual denomination inscription in manuscript or letterpress, with the issuing authority of Demerara and Essequibo indicated in the text. The face carries handwritten or typeset entries for value, date, and authorizing signatures consistent with early colonial treasury practice in British Guiana. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse of this colonial treasury note is unprinted or bears only minimal text, consistent with the hand-cut paper issue practice of the Demerara and Essequibo colonial administration during the 1830s. |
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| Comments |
The Colony of Demerara and Essequibo occupied an awkward administrative position throughout the 1830s — formally under British control since 1814 but still operating a currency system rooted in Dutch colonial practice. The "Joe" (Johannes, or Portuguese gold coin) had long since ceased to circulate in specie, yet it persisted as a unit of account in local commerce, hence the dual denomination: 10 Joes rendered as 220 Guilders for those still thinking in the old Dutch reckoning.
The 1830s also mark the decade of emancipation — the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 took effect in British Guiana in 1834, with full freedom delayed until 1838. Notes issued across this span were circulating through one of the most economically disruptive transitions in the colony's history.