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3 Guilder
| Issuer | Demerara and Essequibo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1808 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 2 mm |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the classic Pillars of Hercules design of the Spanish colonial 8 Reales, featuring two crowned globes flanked by two crowned pillars with scrolling banners, set upon a waves motif in the exergue. The surrounding legend reads HISPAN·ET IND·REX·Mo ·8R·F·M·, identifying the issuing authority as King of Spain and the Indies with the Mexico City mint mark. The large crenated central hole, cut to produce the countermark piece, dominates the center of the field. The overall striking retains the original milled edge of the host coin. |
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| Mintage | ND (1808) - 1791 host date - ND (1808) - 1796 host date - ND (1808) - 1803 host date - |
| Additional information |
Demerara and Essequibo came under British administration in 1803 following the Napoleonic Wars, but the colony's monetary system remained stubbornly Dutch in character for years afterward. This 1808 issue was struck under British colonial authority specifically to address a chronic coin shortage — the region had almost no reliable circulating specie, and Spanish dollars alone could not fill the gap. The guilder denomination was retained deliberately, as the Dutch-speaking merchant class refused to conduct trade in unfamiliar units.
Only two known reference types exist for this series, making die attribution unusually straightforward for a colonial issue of this period.