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What were the most popular denominations for gold rush emigrants?
topstuf
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I just found a little book on Nevada history in my stuff.
There's an article taken from the journal of one of the pioneer women who came west with the wagon trains.
In it she mentions their paying for supplies along the way.
Which makes me curious.
I wonder what denominations the emigrants would have elected to carry into the wilderness.
I know ....trading... was popular and much used.
However, if they were BUYING stuff, I'd think they'd want small change. Just enough to scrape up deals.
Anyone ever research the denominations?
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For those traveling through latin America by boat to California, the silver 50c pieces were popular. Here are a couple I've picked up recently for my California Gold Rush collection. Note, 4 Reales are about the same as a half dollar.
1856-1857 J.L. Polhemus Counterstamp on 1836 Peru 4 Reales
1855 Chile 50c from the S.S. Central America shipwreck
Years ago I saw some coins in (I think) the little museum at Donner Lake.
Supposedly excavated near the Donner Party site.
As I.....recall.... there were some bust halves in the pile. I do not recall the others. I wasn't collecting coins so the bigger bust halves are all I can recall.
@OriginalDan That Peruvian coin with the Sacto c/s is awesome. Haven't seen counterstamped coinage from gold rush era California.
During the gold rush era in California goods were costly, small change like used back east was fairly worthless in California. A quarter was probably the smallest useful denomination - which is why quarter dollars in fractional gold were made.
Well shoot. I just googled Donner Party coins and got this from the PDF.
https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18910516.2.10&dliv=none&st=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
I believe the Pollacks sent quite the contingent.
http://hamiltoncs.org/americanwestreligion/events-and-movements/the-gold-rush-of-1848/
The Donner Party of 1846-1847 were two years ahead of the Gold Rush emigrants but were subject to the same financial constraints.
In 1891 two prospectors near California's Donner Lake found a cache of silver coins which had been buried by a member of the Donner Party in 1847, Mrs. Elizabeth Groves, nee Cooper, prior to her departure with the Second Relief Expedition on March 3, 1847. She was too weak to carry the money. She died on or about March 7, 1847.
A list of the coins found is located at:
https://www.archive.org/stream/numismaticfindso00klee#page/196/mode/2up
USA 50 cents (72) dated 1810 to 1843
France 5 francs (55) dated 1800 to 1844
Spanish colonies 4 reales Mexico (2) dated 1800 to 1805
Spanish colonies 8 reales Mexico (5) dated 1805 to 1821
Mexico 8 reales (49) dated 1826 to 1845
German States Saxony thaler 1835
Bolivia 8 reales 1835
Argentina La Plata 8 reales 1835
Other dollar sized coins not otherwise identified (9)
These are examples of similar coins:
For some reason Mrs. Groves carried 10 of these dated 1812:
France 5 francs 1812-A Napoleon Emperor (Silver, 37 mm, 24.93 gm)
And she carried only one of these with the date not known:
France 5 francs 1831-D Louis Philippe (Silver, 38 mm, 24.17 gm)
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Interesting information, thank you all for sharing !!!