The
Trinidad and Tobago dollar is the currency of
Trinidad and Tobago. It has its origins in the
Spanish dollar (also known as "pieces of eight"), which began circulating in the 16th century. The first bank in the territory was the
Colonial Bank, which opened a branch in Trinidad in 1837. An 1838 order-in-council by the government designated the
pound sterling as the official currency, but dollars issued by various countries remained legal tender. A government ordinance in 1934 named the dollar the official currency, replacing the system of pounds, shillings and pence at a fixed exchange rate of 1 dollar for every 4 shillings 2 pence. Trinidad and Tobago entered a currency union with other Caribbean nations after
World War II, which was replaced by the modern Trinidad and Tobago dollar in 1964, two years after the nation's independence.
This is a 1905 two dollar note. A one dollar note was issued at the same time.Banknote: Thomas de la Rue, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Image: Godot13