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1974 Silver Proof Belize 1 Cent Swallow Tailed Kite
1974 Silver Proof Belize 1 Cent Swallow Tailed Kite

1974 Silver Proof Belize 1 Dollar Scarlet Macaw
1974 Silver Proof Belize 1 Dollar Scarlet Macaw

A Brief History of Belize

Early History
The natives of Belize were the Mayans, of the Amerindian Empire. During the 16th Centurey the Spanish claimed the area, but did not settle there, partly due to the ferocity of the Mayans and partly due to the lack of exploitable resources, and there were better places for the Spaniards to settle.

English Settlement
Although the Spanish maintained sovereignty over the area, English settlers arrived in 1638 to build a settlement to use as a base from which to raid Spanish shipping and to cut wood. The British settlements were, unsurprisingly, frequently attacked by the Spanish, but in 1763 Spain agreed to allow British settlers to live there, in return for calling a halt to piracy. Spain still maintained its sovereignty over the area however, until the early 19th Century.

Agitation and Reform
British Honduras, as it then became known, was in large part dependent on the logging industry, but long after the abolition of slavery in the 1830s, conditions in the logging camps were appalling, and breaching an employment contract was considered a criminal rather than merely civil offence. The property qualification clause for the right to vote did not give the poorer elements of British Honduran Society a voice. This led to frequent riots and civil disturbances in the colony.
However, labour unions were legalised in 1941, followed in 1943 by the decriminalisation of the breaching of employment contracts. In 1954, universal adult suffrage was achieved.

Independence
The move towards independence was initially hampered by Guatemalan claims of sovereignty over British Honduras, which was renamed Belize in 1973. Many Belizeans feared that British withdrawal would trigger a Guatemalan invasion. However, after years of talking and negotiation, Guatemala found itself diplomatically isolated over the issue by 1980, and the following year, Belize was granted its independence. However, a large garrison of British troops was maintained in the country to deter Guatemalan aggression until 1994.

Belizean Coins
In common with the rest of the local area, Spanish dollars were the dominant unit of exchange for much of Belize’s colonial history. An attempt to introduce sterling into the colony met with only limited success, and dollar/peso-based currencies of neighbouring countries (including the US) predominated in the region, although the shilling enjoyed popularity as a 25 cent piece.
In 1873, the British Honduran Dollar was introduced which was (at that time) equivalent to both the US and Canadian Dollars. However, the first coin to be struck for this currency was not struck until 1885, when the 1c coin was introduced. This was followed by 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins in 1894. These denominations have been maintained (with changes in metal content and size, as a concession to inflation) down to the present day. The British Honduras Dollar was renamed the Belizean Dollar in 1973.
Some coins were struck at the Franklin Mint, which portrayed the Belizean Coat of Arms, rather than the Queen’s portrait. Those struck at the Royal Mint depict the Queen of Belize (Elizabeth II) on the Obverse.

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

Gold Coins
We also have gold coins from Belize on our taxfreegold website:-
Belizean Gold Coins



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