Decimal coinage of Jamaica

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Map of Jamaica.




Map of the Caribbean.

From Wikipedia:

Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the fourth-largest island country in the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola (the island containing the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Previously inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Many of the indigenous people died of disease, and the Spanish transplanted African slaves to Jamaica as labourers. The island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later Great Britain) conquered it and renamed it Jamaica. Under British colonial rule Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter, with its plantation economy highly dependent on African slaves. The British fully emancipated all slaves in 1838, and many freedmen chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. Beginning in the 1840s, the British utilized Chinese and Indian indentured labour to work on plantations. The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962.

With 2.9 million people, Jamaica is the third-most populous Anglophone country in the Americas (after the United States and Canada), and the fourth-most populous country in the Caribbean. Kingston is the country's capital and largest city, with a population of 937,700. Jamaicans mainly have African ancestry, with significant European, Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, and mixed-race minorities. Due to a high rate of emigration for work since the 1960s, Jamaica has a large diaspora around the world, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. Jamaica is an upper-middle income country, with an average of 4.3 million tourists a year.

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Coat of arms of Jamaica.

The coat of arms is supported by female and male Amerindians, the original inhabitants of the island.

A crocodile and pineapples, as typically found in Jamaica, are included in the arms.

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Flag of Jamaica.

From Wikipedia:

The flag of Jamaica was adopted on 6 August 1962, when the country gained independence from the British-protected Federation of the West Indies. It is the only current national flag in the world that does not feature any of the colours red, white, or blue.

Black represents the strength and creativity of the people, which has allowed them to overcome the odds; gold for the wealth of the country and the golden sunshine; and green for the lush vegetation of the island.

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INTRODUCTION OF THE JAMAICAN DOLLAR

In the 1960s Jamaica used the predecimal Jamaican pound. Alongside Jamaican banknotes, the country used a mixture of British coinage and its own Jamaican pennies and halfpennies.

From Wikipedia:

On January 30 1968 the Jamaican House of Representatives voted to decimalize the currency by introducing the dollar, worth 10 shillings, to replace the Jamaican pound. Coins and banknotes went into circulation on September 8, 1969. The introduction of a decimal currency provided the opportunity for the introduction of a complete Jamaican coinage as formerly, the coins (with the exception of the penny and halfpenny), were the same as those used in the United Kingdom. The reverse of the decimal coinage was designed by Christopher Ironside. These coins were in circulation from 1969 to about 1990.

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The reverse design of the 1 cent coin featured an ackee.

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Here you see an ackee.

The fruit shown on the 1 cent design has been split open.

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In 1971 a FAO-themed version of the 1 cent coin was issued. Above you also see the common obverse of the coinage, which showed the coat of arms. Other Commonwealth realms, such as Belize, choose to portray Elizabeth II on their coinage, but some, such as Papua New Guinea and Barbados, prefer to use their coat of arms.

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A 12-sided aluminium version of the 1 cent coin, using the FAO-themed design, was issued from 1975 until 2002.

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The reverse of the 5 cents coin featured a superb design of an American crocodile.

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The reverse of the 10 cents coin featured a Homerus Swallowtail butterfly on the blossom of a lignus vitae tree.

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Blossom of the lignum vitae tree.

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A Homerus swallowtail butterfly.

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The reverse of the 20 cents coin featured three blue mahoe trees.

The blue mahoe (talipariti elatum) is one of Jamaica's national symbols.

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The blue mahoe tree.

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From 1976 to 1982, and also in 1984 and 1987, Jamaica issued a FAO-themed version of the 20 cents coin.