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Are You Fascinated by Colonial Era Coins? I Am!

MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

I began collecting colonial era coins around 2007. I've formed a few collections over the years, including colonial era coins with traceable provenance and foreign coins that circulated in early America. Over the last couple of years, I moved away from colonials in favor of building a type set of key date US coins, but I've been bitten by the colonial bug again.

I think what fascinates me about colonial era coins is the time period, before the existence of the US mint. What the early colonists accepted as money - state coppers, foreign coins, privately produced tokens - speaks to the birth of our nation and the hardships people faced in every day life. Appropriate topic to reflect on this Independence week.

Do you collect colonials? Why or why not? What aspect of them do you find most interesting?

I don't own any currently, but here are a few from my past collections...




Comments

  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 658 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 1, 2024 11:45AM

    The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is only two years away. Colonial coins have become a bit more affordable due to the large supply that has come on the market the past few years. Don’t forget about colonial paper money. I recently picked up a Sword in Hand note printed by Paul Revere, one of our greatest colonists. The historical significance of this note is second to none.

  • goldengolden Posts: 9,561 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have a few Colonials.

  • TheGoonies1985TheGoonies1985 Posts: 5,435 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes but those from Latin America. The USA also has some great coins from that era.

  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 658 ✭✭✭✭

    @PillarDollarCollector said:
    Yes but those from Latin America. The USA also has some great coins from that era.

    Don’t forget about France and Netherlands, among others.

  • TheGoonies1985TheGoonies1985 Posts: 5,435 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 1, 2024 3:16PM

    @Colonialcoin said:

    @PillarDollarCollector said:
    Yes but those from Latin America. The USA also has some great coins from that era.

    Don’t forget about France and Netherlands, among others.

    I just meant Latin America in the sens that is what I collect personally. I am sure many other countries have great coins as well I simply do not know them (lack of books and lack of time to study outside my area of interest).

  • oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I too have put together type sets of colonial, and foreign that circulated in the US prior to 1857. The foreign has been the most fun, the want list never ends. As subsets I put together type sets of coins found in Jamestown and Williamsburg - quite the array of countries and many very tough to locate.

  • CatbertCatbert Posts: 7,093 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I remember well your former collection. It was so compelling and interesting. I'm not surprised you continue to have interest.

    I do like colonial era coinage since it would complement my affection for federal early copper coins. However, the reason I don't collect them is that I don't want to try and collect everything. I drifted away from type set collecting and want to be careful that I don't spread my money across too many collecting pursuits.

    Additionally, I like pattern coinage. I kinda think colonial coinage is similar in the sense that it is more of a niche focus. I suspect both areas would be harder to sell when that time comes since the market is narrower.

    Seated Half Society member #38
    "Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
  • oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Tim, interesting to put the C-Nova in a separate category. Bar cent would go there as well I suppose. “Non Federal USA” ??

  • MarkMark Posts: 3,536 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Eddi I like your collection. A lot of history comes alive in it.

    Mark


  • retirednowretirednow Posts: 527 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MidLifeCrisis said:
    I began collecting colonial era coins around 2007. I've formed a few collections over the years, including colonial era coins with traceable provenance and foreign coins that circulated in early America. Over the last couple of years, I moved away from colonials in favor of building a type set of key date US coins, but I've been bitten by the colonial bug again.

    I think what fascinates me about colonial era coins is the time period, before the existence of the US mint. What the early colonists accepted as money - state coppers, foreign coins, privately produced tokens - speaks to the birth of our nation and the hardships people faced in every day life. Appropriate topic to reflect on this Independence week.

    Do you collect colonials? Why or why not? What aspect of them do you find most interesting?

    I agree with the lure of the series. I had assembled a nice sampling ( not the highest grades but I felt respectable) before my interested shifted. Maybe it was the unique designs of the era that struck me the most and the history that were linked to the colonial subsets. While I started to build a type set using the Red Book, NGC eventually came out with a basic set definition that offered me a road map to focus on As time went on, I did focus on some specific subsets that I enjoyed to collect. I eventually liquidated my set via Heritage Showcase auctions and while is fun to see the activity on the auction it was also a little sad.

    Over my 10 years or so, I had used NGC registry where I was proud to have had 48 1st place awards and as my interest slowed other members picked up & overtaken me ( of course the big name collections are usually not in these registries). I still had 3 top sets when I sold off my set -
    Wood's Hibernia,
    Rosa Americana, &
    Hibernia Voce Populi coins .

    (PS: I mentioned NGC registry as they permitted PCGS listings and thus I could list my entire collection)

    OMG ... My Mother was Right about Everything!
    I wake up with a Good Attitude Every Day. Then … Idiots Happen!

  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @retirednow said:

    While I started to build a type set using the Red Book, NGC eventually came out with a basic set definition that offered me a road map to focus on

    @retirednow - I use the PCGS Early American Coins and Tokens Basic Design Set (1616-1820), which consists of the following coins:
    Massachusetts Silver Oak Tree
    Massachusetts Silver Pine Tree
    Maryland Coinage
    New Jersey St. Patrick Coinage
    American Plantation Token
    Rosa Americana Coinage
    Woods Hibernia Coinage
    Virginia Coinage
    Elephant Token Halfpenny
    Higley Copper
    Voce Populi Coinage
    Pitt Token
    Rhode Island Ship Medal
    Chalmers Coinage
    French Colonies Billon Coinage
    French Colonies Sou 1767
    Continental Dollar
    Nova Constellatio Copper
    Immunis Columbia
    Massachusetts Copper
    Connecticut Copper Bust Left
    New York Excelsior
    Machin’s Mills Copper
    Nova Eborac Copper
    New Jersey Copper Head Right
    Vermont Copper Plow
    Vermont Copper Bust Right
    North American Token
    Bar Copper
    Auctori Plebis Token
    Mott Token
    Kentucky Copper
    Franklin Press Token
    Myddelton Token
    Castorland Medal
    Talbot Allum & Lee Cent
    Washington Triumpho Token
    Washington Military Bust
    Washington Draped Bust
    Washington 1791-95 'Washington President' Obverse
    Washington Undated Liberty & Security
    Washington Success Medal
    Fugio Cent

  • oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I ignored the traditional “colonial” list to a degree. For example I skipped the Franklin and Mott tokens. Skipped the uber expensive coins/tokens as well. Added a bunch of state “varieties” tho, which are really very different types and should be included in a good representative set. I tried to focus on coins/coppers that actually circulated here rather than the traditional items.

  • retirednowretirednow Posts: 527 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MidLifeCrisis said:

    @retirednow said:

    While I started to build a type set using the Red Book, NGC eventually came out with a basic set definition that offered me a road map to focus on

    @retirednow - I use the PCGS Early American Coins and Tokens Basic Design Set (1616-1820), which consists of the following coins:

    I did have that series started at PCGS but since PCGS did not permit NGC slabs I stuck with NGC.
    NGC has their US Colonial Complete Design Set, 1616-1820 with 58 coins - I recall being short 2 or 3 before I bailed out of colonials. They a have another registry - US Colonial Basic Design Set, 1652-1796 w/ 144 pieces. In any case I still enjoy looking at the pieces on line in these registries and auction cat's. Good luck with the rest of your collecting

    OMG ... My Mother was Right about Everything!
    I wake up with a Good Attitude Every Day. Then … Idiots Happen!

  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,540 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @oldabeintx said:
    I ignored the traditional “colonial” list to a degree. For example I skipped the Franklin and Mott tokens. Skipped the uber expensive coins/tokens as well. Added a bunch of state “varieties” tho, which are really very different types and should be included in a good representative set. I tried to focus on coins/coppers that actually circulated here rather than the traditional items.

    There are some in the PCGS Early American Coins and Tokens Basic Design Set that I don't have any interest in owning, don't believe belong in the set, or are prohibitively expensive. But I use the set as a guide.

    I also use smaller, more specific sets - such as Fugio Cents with Major Varieties - to help me keep track of my collections and stay focused.

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