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1 Dollar Government Issue
| Issuer | Government of British Guiana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916-1918 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | British Guiana Dollar (1837-1965) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH GUIANA Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the Sum of ONE DOLLAR DAMUS PETIMUSQUE VICISSIM Georgetown Currency Commissioners ONE DOLLAR $1 $1 ONE DOLLAR THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY LIMITED (Translation: Latin motto: WE GIVE AND WE ASK IN RETURN) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | DAMUS PETIMUSQUE VICISSIM (Translation: WE GIVE AND WE ASK IN RETURN) |
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| Comments |
British Guiana's wartime paper currency was a direct consequence of the coin shortage that hit British colonies across the Caribbean and South America once metal was redirected to the war effort after 1914. The Government of British Guiana — rather than any chartered bank — stepped in as issuer, an arrangement that was unusual for the region at the time and gave these notes their "Government Issue" designation rather than the more familiar bank note status.
De La Rue's involvement guaranteed competent security printing, but the series had a short operational window. Surviving examples are scarce, and those that circulated in the colony's humid interior typically show significant wear from the conditions alone.