Guamanian Coins

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Spanish Settlement
Guam was originally colonised by the Chamorro, who arrived from Indonesia in around the 3rd Millennium BC. It was later discovered by Ferdinand Magellan, and claimed on behalf of the Spanish Crown in 1521. However, it wasn't until 1668 that the Spanish made a concerted effort to colonise the island, when Padre San Vitores arrived to establish a missionary settlement.
Guam became an important stopping point for the Manila Galleons, ships laden with precious metal that travelled twice a year from Spain's South American Colonies back to Spain. Originally part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain, Guam was administered as part of Philippines following the collapse of Spanish Rule in Central and South America in the early 19th Century.

American Control
Guam remained under Spanish control until 1898, when it was captured by the Americans, who established a naval base there. The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded and occupied the island on December the 8th 1941. Japan went on to occupy the Island until 1944, when the Americans regained control following a battle in which almost the entire Japanese garrison of 18,000 fought to the death. One member of the Garrison, Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, was one the last Japanese soldiers to surrender to the allies, having been found in the Jungle of Guam in 1972.

Today
Guam remains an unincorporated territory of the United States, and while its people are US Citizens, as they are not a state, they do not have a vote in presidential elections. It remains an important US military base, and this garrison, in addition to tourism, provides the basis of the local economy.

Coinage of Guam
Not surprisingly, coins of the Spanish Dollar were the first to circulate in Guam, until coins of the Philippine Peso were introduced in 1857. Since the US took control of the island in 1898, the US Dollar has (apart from a brief interlude under Japanese Occupation) been the official currency of Guam.

For Sale and Wanted
If you are interested in coins from Guam please see our product index:-
Guamanian Coins

Guamanian Gold Coins