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Obverse of 1778 Grenada 66 Shillings
Obverse of 1778 Grenada 66 Shillings
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Reverse of 1778 Grenada 66 Shillings
Reverse of 1778 Grenada 66 Shillings
A Brief History of Grenada
Grenada is an island nation and former British colony in the Caribbean. It is also known as the 'Spice Island' due to its importance as a grower of nutmeg. Its capital is St George's.

Discovery
Prior to its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1498, Grenada was populated by Carib Amerindians, who had driven out the native Arawak Amerindians some time before, (a pattern that had been repeated elsewhere in the Caribbean). The Spanish did not attempt to settle the island, although the English made an abortive attempt to settle the island in 1609. The French, arriving later, had more success in settling the island, which they called 'La Grenade' in 1649.

British Conquest
The English (or more correctly, the British) returned to Grenada in 1762, during the Seven Years War with France, and wrested control of the colony from the French. They renamed the capital, Fort Royal, as St Georges. The French recaptured Grenada in 1779, but handed it back to the British following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. Grenada then remained under British control until 1974, despite an unsuccessful pro-French revolt in 1795-96 led by Julien Fedon.

Colonial Rule
The nutmeg industry was introduced in Grenada almost by accident when in 1843, a merchant ship left some nutmeg trees behind on its way back to Britain from the East Indies, since that time, Grenada has become the world's leading producer of the spice, accounting for some 40% of the World's annual crop.
From the early part of the 20th Century, agitation for greater self-Rule began to grow. In 1925, Grenadians were allowed to elect 5 of the 15 members of the legislative assembly, but only subject to a restrictive property qualification that ensured only the wealthiest 4% could vote. A general strike orchestrated by the nascent Grenada United Labour Party in 1951 led to the elections of that year being held the basis of universal adult suffrage for the first time, and the GULP won 6 seats.
Between 1958 and 1962, Grenada was a member of the short-lived Federation of the West Indies. In 1967, it was granted full internal autonomy, and finally, in 1974 full independence.

Invasion
In 1979, the administration of Prime Minister Eric Gairy was overthrown by leader of the new Jewel Movement (NJM) Maurice Bishop, who attempted to set up a Marxist Utopia on the island. In 1983 however, Bishop was himself deposed by a faction within the NJM. Suffering a fate not uncommon to being on the losing side of a faction within a Marxist party, Bishop was thrown up against a wall and shot, alongside his fellow 'counter-revolutionary' allies and former cabinet members.
US President Ronald Reagan was concerned that the NJM Government would provide a base for Soviet Aircraft if it was not stopped, and in the immediate aftermath of Bishop's overthrow and execution, ordered an invasion of the island, with the support of many of the surrounding Caribbean nations.
The US military freed Governor-General Paul Scoon, who had been under house arrest, who then appointed Nicholas Brathwaite as head of an interim administration. Elections in 1984 brought Herbert Blaize and the Grenada National Party to power. The coup leaders were put on trial for various charges, including treason and the murder of Maurice Bishop, convicted and sentenced to death, although these were later reduced to terms of life imprisonment. They have since been released.

Coinage of Grenada
The first coins used in Grenada were Spanish Dollars (Pieces of Eight) as was the case elsewhere in the Caribbean. Spanish, and later Mexican Pesos, continued to be used as currency on the island well into the 19th Century, long after an order in council that made Sterling the official currency of Grenada in 1840. Silver Dollars were finally demonetised in 1878, following a silver crisis which began in 1873. British coins continued to circulate, but prices were reckoned in terms of dollars at the rate of $1 = 4/2d.
From 1955, coins of the British West Indies dollar replaced British coins then in circulation, consisting of denominations of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents. In 1965, the British West Indies Dollar was replaced by the East Caribbean Dollar using similar denominations, although the half-cent was omitted and a dollar coin added.

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Grenada Coins

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