Editing Belize dollar (section)

==History==

In 1825, an imperial order-in-council was passed for the purpose of introducing the British [[Pound sterling|sterling]] coinage into all the British colonies. This order-in-council made sterling coinage legal tender; it set the exchange rate between sterling and the [[Spanish dollar]] at {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s 4d. This exchange rate was supposed to be based on the value of the silver in the [[Spanish dollar]]s as compared to the value of the gold in the British [[sovereign (British coin)|sovereigns]]. The realistic exchange rate would have been {{val|p=$|4.80}} = £1 (equivalent to {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s 2d), and so the unrealistic exchange rate that was contained in the 1825 order-in-council led to the initiative being largely a failure. Remedial legislation came about in 1838 with a new order-in-council, which did not apply to the British North American colonies due to minor rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. The 1838 legislation introduced the correct rating of {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s 2d.

When the original order-in-council of 1825 was introduced in [[Jamaica]], [[Bermuda]], and [[British Honduras]], the local authorities set aside the mistaken rating of {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s 4d, and they unofficially used the alternative rating of {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s. [[The Bahamas]] would later adopt this same approach. When the 1838 remedial legislation came into force, sterling was well established in these territories, the [[Spanish dollar]] had been barred from circulation, and the authorities had no desire to adopt the devaluation that would have been associated with the correct rating of {{val|p=$|1}} = 4s 2d. The British shilling, referred to locally as a 'Maccaroni', was equal to one quarter of a dollar, and the system was working very satisfactorily.

For a period in the middle of the nineteenth century [[British Honduras]] operated the British sterling monetary system just like [[Jamaica]] and [[Bermuda]]. In the wake of the international silver crisis of 1873 the silver [[peso]] of neighbouring [[Guatemala]] drove the British currency out of circulation. In an attempt to return [[British Honduras]] to the gold standard, and influenced by the fact that most imports were coming from [[New Orleans]] in the United States, a new currency was introduced into [[British Honduras]] based on the [[US dollar]], bringing [[British Honduras]] into line with [[Canada]].
[[File:British Honduras, 1 cent 1889.jpg|thumb|260px|1 cent 1889 British Honduras, Queen [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]]]

At that time, the [[Canadian dollar]] was on the gold standard, and one [[Canadian dollar]] was equal to one [[American dollar]]. This is the point where the currency history of [[British Honduras]] diverges from that of the rest of the [[British West Indies]]. In 1885, 1 cent coins were issued, followed by higher denominations in 1894. This year also saw the first issue of banknotes by the government and a switch from the silver Guatemalan peso to the gold [[U.S. dollar]] as the base for the currency, with {{val|p=$|4.866}} = 1 pound. The rate of {{val|p=$|4.866}} as opposed to {{val|p=$|4.80}} is explained by the fact that when the US dollar was first created in 1792, it was based on the average weight of a selection of worn [[Spanish dollar]]s. Hence, the US dollar was at a slight discount in relation to the [[Spanish dollar]]. Following the introduction of the US dollar gold standard to [[British Honduras]], the 25 cent coins were referred to as shillings due to their closeness in value to shilling sterling.

When the [[United Kingdom]] abandoned the gold standard in 1931, the [[British Honduras]] dollar continued with its attachment to the [[US dollar]] and as such it did not become part of the [[sterling bloc]]. At the outbreak of the second world war, unlike in the case of [[Canada]], [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]], and [[Hong Kong]], [[British Honduras]] did join the [[sterling area]] even though it maintained its fixed exchange rate with respect to the [[US dollar]]. The [[sterling bloc]] should not be confused with the [[sterling area]]. The former was a group of countries who pegged their local currencies to sterling when the [[United Kingdom]] abandoned the gold standard in 1931, whereas the latter was an exchange control arrangement introduced as an emergency measure at the outbreak of the second world war.

In 1949 the [[British pound]] was devalued from {{US$|4.03}} to {{US$|2.80}}. Since the [[British Honduras]] dollar was pegged to the [[US dollar]], this caused a sudden increase in the value of the British Honduran dollar relative to the pound. Protests ensued which led to a devaluation of the British Honduran dollar to a value of 70 U.S. cents (equal to 5 shillings sterling).

Following Harold Wilson's devaluation of sterling in November 1967, the British Honduran dollar again devalued in sympathy with the British pound to 60 US cents. In 1978, the link to the British pound of BZ$4 = £1 was abandoned and once again the [[Belize]] unit was pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of BZ$2 = {{US$|1}}. The current rate with the US dollar reflects the devaluation of 50% in relation to the original parity with the [[US dollar]] in 1885, which last applied in 1949.

{{For|a more general outline of currencies in the British Caribbean region|Currencies of the British West Indies}}