SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, Colonial. George III, 1760-1820. Black Dog (Billon, 18 mm, 0.84 g), countermarked on an uncertain. NEVI[S] countermark. Rev. Blank. Pridmore 6 var. (different host coin). Rare. Small scratches and some deposits, otherwise, host coin blank, countermark fine.



The Black Dogs of the British Caribbean were locally validated foreign copper and billon coins, most commonly French 2-sous pieces, that were countermarked for circulation in the British West Indies.

The nickname Black Dog appears to have referred to the dark color and poor quality of the heavily debased host coins. Such issues illustrate the chronic shortage of small change in the Caribbean, where colonial governments frequently adapted readily available foreign coinage instead of producing their own. Today, these countermarked pieces provide an important record of the region's complex and highly pragmatic colonial monetary system.