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Stuiver 'Cayenne-Stuiver' Countermark C20 + SM
| Issuer | Sint Maarten |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Scholt II#1425, CNO#73.17, KM#– |
| Obverse description | Host coin obverse featuring a draped bust in left profile within the central field, with a circular legend partially legible around the periphery. Applied prominently over the host coin design is a rectangular countermark bearing the crowned initials 'SM' (Sint Maarten), punched into the field as an official validation mark. The countermark is deeply struck and clearly delineated against the underlying host coin relief. The host coin appears to be a French Guiana (Cayenne) stuiver or related billon issue, consistent with the 'Cayenne-Stuiver' designation. The combination of host coin imagery and applied countermark is characteristic of Caribbean monetary revalidation practice of the early nineteenth century. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse of the host coin displaying a seated or reclining allegorical figure, likely a classical personification, within the central field, with traces of a peripheral legend around the rim that is partially worn and difficult to fully resolve. The design corresponds to a French colonial billon stuiver struck for Cayenne, consistent with known host coin types for this countermark series. The surface exhibits significant wear commensurate with circulation prior to countermarking. No additional countermark is visible on this face. The overall relief is flat and heavily circulated, obscuring finer details of the original host coin engraving. |
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| Additional information |
Sint Maarten's chronic shortage of small change in the early nineteenth century was solved through the same improvised logic used across the Caribbean: take whatever silver-bearing coin was available, punch it, and declare it current. The "Cayenne-Stuiver" designation refers to coins originally struck for French Guiana — Cayenne — that were countermarked and placed into circulation on the Dutch side of the island. The dual countermark, C20 and SM, confirms both the revalued denomination and the issuing authority.
The absence of a KM number reflects how poorly this series is documented in mainstream references. Scholt and CNO remain the authoritative sources.