British Guianan guilder facts for kids
The guilder was a type of money used in a place called British Guiana a long time ago. This area was first known as Essequibo and Demerara. The guilder was used there between 1796 and 1839.
History of the Guilder
When the British took over the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara from the Dutch, they kept using the guilder. It replaced the Dutch guilder at the same value. This means one old Dutch guilder was worth one new Guianan guilder.
The guilder was divided into smaller parts. Each guilder was worth 20 Stuivers, which were also called stivers. There were also special gold coins from Brazil called peças. People in British Guiana called these "joes." One joe was worth 22 guilders.
At first, one British pound was equal to 12 guilders. This meant one guilder was worth 20 pence. But in 1836, the guilder's value changed. It became worth only 16 pence.
In 1839, the guilder was replaced. The British pound and the British Guiana dollar became the new money. One British pound was then worth 15 guilders. And one British Guiana dollar was worth about 3 and an eighth guilders. This meant one British pound was equal to 4.8 British Guiana dollars.
Coins of the Guilder
The very first coins used in 1798 and 1799 were actually Brazilian coins that had new stamps put on them. This made them official for use in British Guiana.
Later, in 1808, a different kind of coin was made. These were Spanish dollars with a hole in the middle. The whole coin was worth 3 guilders. The small piece of metal that was punched out (called the "plug") was also used as money. It was worth 3 "bits," which was equal to 15 stivers.
In 1809, new coins were made just for Essequibo and Demerara. These coins came in values of 1⁄4, 1⁄2, 1, 2, and 3 guilders. A few years later, in 1813, 1⁄2 and 1 stiver coins were made. Then, in 1832, 1⁄8 guilder coins were added.
In 1836, a brand new set of coins was introduced. These coins only showed their value in guilders. This was also the year the British Royal Mint started making fourpenny coins for British Guiana. These coins were worth 1⁄4 of a guilder. They didn't say where they were supposed to be used, so they ended up being used in the UK too! Twopenny coins, worth Template:1/8 of a guilder, were also made in the same way starting in 1838.
Banknotes of the Guilder
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In the 1830s, paper money was also used in the colonies. These banknotes were valued in both "joes" and "guilders." You could find notes for 1, 2, 3, and 10 joes. Since one joe was 22 guilders, a 10-joe note was worth 220 guilders!
The government of British Guiana didn't start printing banknotes in dollars until 1916. Banknotes made specifically for British Guiana stopped being printed in 1942. They were replaced by British West Indies dollars in 1951.
In 1955, the British West Indies dollar was changed to a decimal system. It was then issued under the name of the British Caribbean Territories, Eastern Group. Finally, in 1965, the East Caribbean dollar took its place. This currency was used in British Guiana for about a year. After British Guiana became independent in 1966, the Guyanese dollar was introduced. It replaced the East Caribbean dollar at the same value.
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