••• POYAIS
1
820's "Banknote"

     

            Home>PM>POY    

 

        Next Country>             



Cazique of Poyais:
Gregorio
MAC GREGOR
1820's

Printer: Bank of Scotland Printer

POYAIS "Banknote, Bonds, Land Grants," 1820's

••• PRINCIPALITY OF POYAIS

History: Poyais was an imaginary country that was used as a defraud scheme in the 1820's by Gregor MAC GREGOR
The only banknotes attributable to Poyais were prepared in the 1820's and not issued
Currency History: None except these issues below

"GOVERNMENT OF POYAIS"

poyN.1P1HardDollarSt.Joseph182x.jpg
P.UNL, N.1x  1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 182x   (1) SN
 

poyN.1P1HardDollarSt.Joseph182xr.jpg
Back

Sold Staples Numismatics eBay $3,950 in 2008

poyN.1x1HardDollarSt.Joseph182x2.jpg
P.UNL, N.2x 1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 182x   (2) Wk
Uniface
Watermark: Bank of Payais,
rectangular scrolls;
Logo design by William Home Lizars
poyP.UNLN.1x1HardDollarSt.Joseph182xStacksBowers_4000.jpg
P.UNL, N.2x 1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 182x

 
poyP.UNLN.1x1HardDollarSt.Joseph182xStacksBowers_4000r.jpg
Back

Sold Stacks Bowers $4000
poyP.UNLN.11HardDollarSt.Joseph1.6.1828SB.jpg
P.UNL, N.2x  1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 1.6.1828 No.16
Uniface
Number 16, issued?
poyP.UNLN.1x1HardDollarSt.Joseph2.5.1824_No.7086_Spink_1600_dollars.jpg
P.UNL, N.2x 1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 2.5.1824_No.7086
Uniface
Number 7086, issued?
Sold by SPINK $1600
poy_N.1x_2_Hard_Dollar_issued.jpg
N.2x_1_Hard_Dollar St.Joseph 182?
Uniface
Trimmed, issued?

Modern Repros

   poyN.1x1HardDollarSt.Joseph182x3.jpg
N.1x 1 Hard Dollar St.Joseph 182x  (3) eB

Offered on eBay 2023

Loans/Bonds

poyloan.jpg
Loan certificate 1820's
Vignette from Loan Certificate
poy100PoundPoyaisBond1820s.jpg
100 Pound 3% Bond 1820's
poyRedemptionLoanbondfor2501824.jpg
Redemption Loan £250 1824

BACKGROUNDER / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Gregor MacGregor (24.12.1786 - 3.12.1845) was a soldier in the British Army and later fought with Bolivar throughout South America. He captured Amelia Island, Florida from the Spanish and issued Customs Scrip while Amelia was considered a separate country.

After visiting the Mosquito(Miskito) Coast of Honduras he is said to have been given a land grant of 12,500 sq. mi. by a local tribal King and was appointed Cazique (Chief). He later sold land to British and Scottish people who wanted to settle in Poyais. MacGregor also issued loans, land backed scrip and other financial instruments in Poyais in addition to having printed 5,000 Poyais banknotes.

His scheme of selling Poyais land was promoted to settlers as a country already developed by printing elaborate brochures. Two ships of settlers went to Poyais only to find that it was just an undeveloped  jungle territory with questionable ownership by MacGregor. The settlers came back to Britain and MacGregor then tried to promote this same scheme in France.

There is a remote possibility that MacGregor intended to settle Poyais and his schemes just did not work?

MacGregor was arrested briefly in France for his land scheme but settled in Venezuela where he wrote his memoirs and died in 1845.


Staples Numismatics (1) This banknote was sold by Staples Numismatics on eBay for $3,950 on 16.12.2008.


(1) SN   We gratefully acknowledge Pete from Staples Numismatics, Inc. for providing these images.
(2) Wikipedia article

(3) eBay


LINKS

Gregor MacGregor, wikipedia

Sir Gregor McGregor, Cazique of Poyais article dated 26.12.1875

The Land That Never Was
by David Sinclair