Catalog
5 Stivers
| Issuer | Colony of Berbice, Council of Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1825 |
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| Currency | Guilder ( -1839) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5 Stivers / BERBICE 1825 / FIVE STIVERS / Good with the Colony Berbice / FOR FIVE STIVERS / By Command of the Council of Government / Commissaries / Secretary / No / Date / to whom issued |
| Reverse description | Entirely unprinted; the reverse presents a plain, uninscribed paper surface with no text, vignette, or ornamental work of any kind. |
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| Comments |
Berbice was a separate British crown colony at the time of this issue — not yet merged into British Guiana, which didn't happen until 1831. The Council of Government issued these small-denomination notes to address a chronic shortage of low-value currency in the colony, where metallic coin rarely reached circulation in sufficient quantity. Five stivers placed this firmly at the working end of colonial trade.
The stivers denomination survived from Dutch colonial administration, a linguistic and monetary holdover that persisted in Berbice well after British takeover in 1803.