Reverse of the Coin (Jamaica) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ackee

The one cent coin was originally issued in bronze and in 1975 changed to a 12-sided aluminum planchet. The reverse of the coin featured the ackee, a fruit that originated in West Africa and was first imported to the Jamaica in the 18th century, where it became an important part of Jamaican cuisine. The one cent coin was demonetized in 2018.

Answer: American crocodile

The five cent coin was a round copper-nickel coin. The reverse featured the image of an American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). The reptile was (and is) found on many of the islands of the Caribbean as well as coastal tropical areas in North and South America. The composition of the coin was changed to nickel-plated steel in 1991 and the coin itself was demonetized in 1994.

Answer: Butterfly with leafy sprigs

The ten cent coin had the same composition and composition changes as the five cent coin. In 1995, the composition changed again to copper-plated steel. The reverse featured a butterfly before 1995, when the image changed to the Rt. Excellent Paul Bogle, a nineteenth century Jamaican civil rights activist.

Answer: Mahoe trees

The twenty cent coin was demonetized in 1990. Before then, it was a round coin made of copper-nickel and 29 mm in diameter. The coin weighed 11.3 g and bore an image of three blue mahoe trees on the obverse. The blue mahoe (Talipariti elatum) is the national tree of Jamaica and is also found on the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Answer: Streamer-tailed hummingbird

The twenty five cent coin had the same changes in composition as ten cent coins. In 1991, the twenty five cent coin was changed from round to seven-sided in shape. The streamer-tailed hummingbird appeared on the obverse of the twenty five cent coin. Hummingbirds were (and are) a group of species that contain the smallest birds and the only ones that are able to hover in air.

The twenty five cent coin was demonetized in 2018.

Answer: Rt. Excellent Marcus Garvey

The fifty cent coin was issued to replace the earlier fifty cent banknote. The coins were decagonal (ten-sided) in shape. An image of the Rt. Excellent Marcus Garvey appeared on the obverse of the fifty cent coins. Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political activist and entrepreneur of the early 20th century. Production of the fifty cent coins ended in 1989 and the coins themselves were demonetized in 1990.

Answer: Sir Alexander Bustamante

The one dollar coin, made of nickel-brass, was introduced to replace the one dollar banknote. In 1994, the composition of the coin changed to nickel-plated steel and the plachet became smaller and seven-sided in shape. In 1969, Jamaica switched from the pound to the dollar as the basic unit of currency with two dollars equal to one pound.

The one dollar coin featured the image of Sir Alexander Bustamante, who was the first prime minister of Jamaica (1962-1967).

Answer: Norman W. Manley

The five dollar coin was issued to replace the five dollar banknote and was made of nickel-plated steel. It was 21.5 mm in diameter and had a weight of 4.3 g. The five dollar coin featured the image of Norman W. Manley, who promoted universal suffrage in Jamaica in the second quarter of the 20th century.

He would later serve as premier of Jamaica (1959-1962) on the eve of independence.

Answer: George William Gordon

The ten dollar coin replaced the ten dollar banknote. It was scallop-shaped and made of nickel-plated steel. The coin featured an image of George William Gordon, a wealthy Jamaican businessman of the 19th century, who was proclaimed a "National Hero of Jamaica" by the government in 1969.

Answer: Rt. Excellent Marcus Garvey National Hero

The twenty dollar coin replaced the twenty dollar banknote. The coin is bimetallic nickel-brass ring and a copper-nickel center. It had a diameter of 23 mm and a weight of 7.1 g. Like the twenty five cent coin, the twenty dollar coin also featured an image of Marcus Garvey, but with an additional description of him as a "National Hero".