1970 Guyana One Dollar Coin

FilamCoins

Guyana is a South American country that is located on the northern coast of the continent situated between Venezuela to the west and Suriname to the east. A former British colony, Guyana is the only South American nation that uses English as its official language. Although a small country, Guyana benefits from tremendous biodiversity, a climate that allows for the growing of a number of profitable crops, and rich mineral resources. Infrastructure and debt remain problems, and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) program in Guyana was originally built to assist the country in sustainable food production and distribution to the hungry, responsible forestry and fisheries management, and technological assistance. Today, the FAO continues these projects and also works with policy makers to help deal with new problems that have arisen due to climate change.

Guyana’s first FAO Coin, the 1970 $1, was issued in commemoration of the Berbice Slave Revolt, which began on February 23, 1763. The revolt is considered by some historians to be the first anti-European revolution in the Americas. The coin also honors the establishment of the Republic of Guyana, which was officially recognized by the International community as a Republic on February 23, 1970.

Condition: Business Strikes: The Guyana FAO $1 was struck on a copper nickel clad planchet and as is typical for the period, the issue is not without its problems. The typical example will show the presence of annealing chatter on Cuffy’s cheek, slight weakness in the ear and hair detail, and weakness in the area of the cow’s right eye. Hits and scrapes are also typical.

Obverse:

Cuffy, with an attractive head of hair and pointed goatee faces to the left, around his neck a rope necklace with a small ornament hanging in the front. In large capitalized letters, the inscriptions BERBICE REVOLT, FEBRUARY 23, 1763 wrap around the perimeter of the coin, surrounding the central device. In small letters “CUFFY” appears below the bust. Small denticles surround a thin raised rim.

Reverse:

Large numeral “1”, centered, to the left a cow’s head, to the right two sugarcane plants. Wrapping around the top of the design, the legend: REPUBLIC OF GUYANA. Underneath, in the center, in smaller text: FOOD FOR ALL. Below the large numeral one, centered, is the denomination, date, and issuing authority, written as: ONE DOLLAR, 1970, BANK OF GUYANA. Two florets bookend the bottom inscriptions. Small denticles surround a thin raised rim.

Country: Guyana
Year Of Issue: 1970
Denomination: One Dollar (GYD)
Mint: Royal Mint (UK)
Mintage: 500,000 (+50,000 Proof)
Alloy: Copper Nickel
Weight: 19 grams
Diameter: 35.6 mm

By CoinWeek IQ - October 23, 2018

7Jaguars

A very nice and attractive coin. I have a few colonial British Guyana and Guyana Royal Mint currency, but like best the currency Franklin Mint coins that I have posted on several occasions.

Here is a specimen one cent coin from the King's Norton Mint. I love the simplicity of the interlocking Lillies
..

Here is a matte uncirculated Franklin Mint coin:

cladking

@FilamCoins said:

Wow!!! I stashed away a few Gems of these when I had a chance since all the others I'd seen had problems but none of mine would even make a true MS-65. They're clean enough but later strikes and rougher surfaces.

I've often wondered if many of these survived and how many actually circulated.

This example is very very nice.