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21/4 Pence TOBAGO Countermark
| Issuer | Tobago |
|---|---|
| Year | 1798 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 21/4 Pence (1⁄160) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Rectangular countermark applied to the obverse of a French Colonies 1 Stampee (2 Sols) host coin, bearing the incuse legend TOBAGO within a recessed punch. The underlying host coin displays a crowned C monogram in the field, characteristic of French colonial billon coinage. The countermark is boldly impressed, partially overlapping the original design of the host piece. The worn and heavily circulated surfaces of the host coin are evident beneath the applied stamp. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | TOBAGO |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Tobago's 1798 countermarking program was a direct response to the chronic coin shortage that plagued the British Caribbean colonies throughout the late eighteenth century. With official sterling in perpetual short supply, colonial administrators resorted to countermarking whatever foreign silver was at hand — in this case, small billon pieces — to authorize them as local currency at a fixed shilling value.
Tobago had only recently passed from French to permanent British control, formalized by the Treaty of Versailles in 1783.