1 Double – Guernsey

In 1830, Guernsey's currency situation was complex and locally unique, characterised by a chronic shortage of official British coinage. The island's economy, heavily reliant on agriculture and maritime trade, operated with a mixture of English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese coins, leading to confusion over exchange rates and values in everyday transactions. This scarcity of reliable specie was a persistent problem, hindering commerce and causing inconvenience for both residents and merchants.

The most significant local response to this shortage was the issuance of private token coinage. From 1813 onward, prominent local merchants and States committees began producing copper and later silver tokens, stamped with their own names or civic symbols, which circulated at fixed sterling values. By 1830, these tokens—particularly the "Guernsey penny"—were not only accepted but essential to the functioning of the local economy, effectively acting as a supplemental, unofficial currency sanctioned by custom and necessity.

This period preceded the major reform that would come in 1834, when the States of Guernsey took formal control by authorising its first regulated issue of copper coinage to replace the private tokens. Therefore, the situation in 1830 represents the tail end of an ad-hoc, community-driven system, born of economic isolation and pragmatism. The island was effectively managing its own monetary supply through a patchwork of foreign coins and trusted local tokens, while operating within the broader framework of the British sterling system.