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Trinidad and Tobago, an archipelagic nation in the southern Caribbean, has a long history dating back to the early indigenous cultures that settled on southwestern Trinidad around 5000 BCE. Explorer Christopher Columbus became the first European to see the islands that comprise Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1490s. Within a few decades, the Spanish were intent on wresting control of the islands. Various other European powers angled for the rich Caribbean terrain of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1600s, but it was the British who solidified their rule over the islands in 1802 by way of the Treaty of Amiens.
British rule dominated well into the 20th century, but after World War II in the 1940s those who lived in and supported the causes of Trinidad and Tobago began championing for independence. Trinidad and Tobago finally became independent in 1962, and Eric Williams became the nation’s first prime minister. On August 1, 1976, Trinidad and Tobago became a republic, giving it complete governmental autonomy. While the first of August marked the nation’s transition to operating as a republic, Trinidad and Tobago celebrates Republic Day on September 24. Why? That’s the date when Parliament first convened under the tutelage of the new Republican Constitution!
Parades, parties, and festivals frequently mark Republic Day in Trinidad and Tobago. But numismatists may choose other ways to celebrate the annual holiday. One of them is to add coinage from Trinidad and Tobago to their collections. And with the PCGS Set Registry, there are several set categories available for those who collect the coins of Trinidad and Tobago, with more opportunities sure to open up as more collectors discover and enjoy building sets of coins from this beautiful Caribbean nation.