1813 Essequebo and Demarary 1-stiver

[villa66]

I encountered a coin that gave me a geography lesson a few weekends ago.

The Dutch colonies of Essequibo and Demerara—situated on the northeast coast of South America—became British in 1803. The British introduced a new coinage into their new colonies beginning in 1809, but it continued in the Dutch tradition—a guilder, made up of 20 stivers. Not until 1813 did new copper coins join the series, the half-stiver, of which 215,040 were struck, and the 1-stiver, seen below, whose mintage was also 215,040 pieces.

“Colonies of Essequebo and Demarary” is the spelling on these 1813 1-stiver pieces, later to be changed to “United Colonies of Demarary and Essequibo” with the 1816 coinage. Still later, coupled with the former Dutch colony of Berbice, the colony of Demarary and Essequibo would become known as “British Guiana.”.

The 1809-1836 coinage of which this big 1-stiver is a part circulated until 1839, then was withdrawn and sent home to Britain for melting.

v.

[KarlAntonMartini]

Thank you for showing. As you find this coin often in good conditions I suppose that not all coins were sent to the colonies but some were sold to collectors. Grüße, KarlAntonMartini

[villa66]

You're definitely right about the relatively large number of these coins that still exist in nice condition. I was really surprised when I began looking at these coppers on the Net.

My instinct was to think they were somehow unpopular because they were copper, had not circulated much, and were another proof of how disliked "black money" was in some parts of the Caribbean and the surrounding area. (The popularity of the small silver groat seems like it might be evidence of this.)

But I agree with you that it may just be that many of these coins stayed at home with collectors, and that's why we see so many of them. If you ever come across more definitive information, I sure would like to hear it. And if I see something, I'll be sure to post it.

Thanks,

v.