Jamaica was discovered by Columbus on 3 May 1494 and the Spanish settled her in 1509. In 1655 the British under Admiral William Penn captured the island. The island became a crown colony in 1866. Jamaica gained independence on 6 August 1962 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations having the British Monarch as the Head of State and currently the Queen of Jamaica. There was a Token coinage in place for many years of her existence but in 1825 the official Sterling coins were put into use. Jamaica adopted the Decimal system, replacing the Sterling issues, on 8 September 1969. At this time the system became based upon the Dollar which was comprised of 100 Cents