Rare 1838 British Guiana 1 Stiver Trade and Navigation Token - Issued by Mr. Balgarnie, Dry Goods Merchant - Rare Imperial British Coin

British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.

The first known Europeans to encounter Guiana was Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer, and his crew. Raleigh published a book entitled The Discovery of Guiana, but this mainly relates to the Guayana region of Venezuela.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle there, starting in the early 17th century. They founded the colonies of Essequibo and Berbice, adding Demerara in the mid-18th century. In 1796, Great Britain took over these three colonies during hostilities with the French, who had occupied the Netherlands. Britain returned control of the territory to the Batavian Republic in 1802, but captured the colonies a year later during the Napoleonic Wars. The Netherlands officially ceded the colonies to the United Kingdom in 1815.

The British consolidated the territories into a single colony in 1831. The colony's capital was at Georgetown (known as Stabroek prior to 1812). Since the late 19th century, the economy has become more diversified but has still relied on resource exploitation. Guyana became independent of the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966

Issuer British Guiana (Guyana)
Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
Type Token
Year 1838
Value 1 Stiver (1⁄20)
Currency British Guianan Guilder (1796-1839)
Composition Copper
Weight 14.0 g
Diameter 33 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled