Were there any "Pirate" coins of the US colonies?

notlogical

I love the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and we watched a show about the real pirates of the caribbean on history channel last week and that show said Blackbeard the pirate raided a lot of ships off of South Carolina. The show said he died there too.

I was wondering what kind of U.S. (colonial) coins would pirates get or use back then?

Thanks!

Russ

There were gold dubloons. There was also Spanish dollars that were sometimes cut in to "Pieces of Eight" in order to have smaller change. That's the origin of the term "two bits", since that would equal a quarter.

Russ, NCNE

DaveG

Didn't you ask almost the same question last year?

Did you ever read the pirate book I recommended?

In any event, the English North American colonies were very cash poor (very few coins were minted here and the English would only permit the colonies to trade legally with England. English merchants paid for commodities shipped from the colonies with manufactured goods instead of cash. There was some smuggling with Dutch and Spanish merchants, however.) What little cash existed was usually Spanish colonial gold (doubloons) and silver (pieces of eight) or Dutch "lion" dollars. There were also Arabian gold dinars brought back from the Pacific (Madagascar, etc.) by pirates such as Captain Kidd.

The Spanish colonial silver coins were the most common - most legal contracts called for payment in "Spanish milled dollars", and Colonial (and Continental) currency was usually denominated in Spanish milled dollars.

edited to add: you might want to ask on the Dark Side, too. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them collect "Pirate" coins.

notlogical

I just read in the RedBook that there was Carolina Elephant tokens. I wonder if pirates would steal or use those?

Leiana

Pirates also went after plate and ingots. Spanish coins were either called milled dollars or Pillard dollars. These coins had reeded edges. Also coins called Spanish Cob piececs which were odd shaped pieces taken from silver bars and hammered between the dies. Weight, not looks was important. These made up alot of the treasure of the Atocha. Jack Sparrow has one of these hanging in his hair.

-Amanda

Edit- forgot to mention that the dollar was 8 reales and the cob pieces were 1 2 4 or 6 reales.

DaveG

Umm, No.


Pirates were interested in stealing high value items that didn't weigh a lot - not small change.



edited to add: Don't forget to read all the text in the Red Book section. In the section on London Elephant tokens it says: "These pieces were not struck for the colonies, and probably did not circulate widely in America, although a few may have been carried here by colonists." In the section on Carolina Elephant tokesn, it says: "Like the Carolina Tokesn the New England Elephant Tokens were believed to have been struck in England as a promotional piece to increase interest in the American Colonies."

notlogical

<< <i>Didn't you ask almost the same question last year?

Did you ever read the pirate book I recommended?

In any event, the English North American colonies were very cash poor. What little cash existed was usually Spanish colonial gold (doubloons) and silver (pieces of eight) or Dutch "lion" dollars. There were also Arabian gold dinars brought back from the Pacific (Madagascar, etc.) by pirates such as Captain Kidd.

The Spanish colonial silver coins were the most common - most legal contracts called for payment in "Spanish milled dollars", and Colonial (and Continental) currency was usually denominated in Spanish milled dollars. >>




Yes I did. After seeing that show about Blackbeard and those other pirates I started to wonder about coins from the US colonies and stuff. I read about all of the foriegn coins that people used back then. I was just wondering if there were any coins from America that pirates could have stolen?

dthigpen

Arrrr Matey!

We be stealin' anything you don't be havin' bolted down!

Arr!

notlogical

<< <i> Jack Sparrow has one of these hanging in his hair. >>




He does? It's on TV right now on USA I am going to have to look. Thanks!

MadMarty

Everybody know where pirate coins come from, Arrrrrrrgentina!!!

Leiana

<< <i>

<< <i> Jack Sparrow has one of these hanging in his hair. >>




He does? It's on TV right now on USA I am going to have to look. Thanks! >>



I'm watching it too!

Leiana

It's the thing with the "fringe" hangiing from it.

-Amanda

DaveG

notlogical,

The thing is that there were very, very few coins from the English colonies, which is why most everyone used Spanish colonial coins.

notlogical

Thanks! I saw it!

Leiana

<< <i>Thanks! I saw it! >>



YAY!

mozeppa

<< <i>Everybody know where pirate coins come from, Arrrrrrrgentina!!! >>





and here i thought it was ....Arrrrrrrrmenia

or arrrrrrkansas

notlogical

<< <i>notlogical,

The thing is that there were very, very few coins from the English colonies, which is why most everyone used Spanish colonial coins. >>




So it didn't really matter where the coin was from. What mattered was what it was made out of and how much it weighed? I think I get it now. I guess I just wondered if there were any american coins from that time. guess not. Thanks.

ABC123

Johnny Depp will be selling the collection soon through Spectrum !

HighRelief

This is a picture of a 8 reales Pillar Dollar from Mexico dated 1749. These coins circulated throughout the trading world back in the pirate days and were often found on sunken ships. These coins were used for commerce in the first colonies in America and circulated with other US coins for trade up until 1856. I guess that after 1856 America had enough of their own coins to go around.

SafeCracker

What a beauty. I can only hope to put something like that in my collection one day. Lets see, if I save $200 a month, I figure I'd have one in about 20 years or so. Sweet coin.

Conder101

It seems like most of the famous pirates were active in the 1678 - 1720 period so about the only US coinage that they could have had in their loot would have been Massachusetts silver coinage.

Leiana

<< <i> These coins were used for commerce in the first colonies in America and circulated with other US coins for trade up until 1856. I guess that after 1856 America had enough of their own coins to go around.] >>



And also there was a law passed and pillar dollars were exchanged and melted

Here's my 8 real. It circulated in the Orient! There were pirates there too.



-Amanda

HighRelief

<< <i>It seems like most of the famous pirates were active in the 1678 - 1720 period so about the only US coinage that they could have had in their loot would have been Massachusetts silver coinage. >>



You better check your dates because they did not have "US coinage" back in 1678-1720

HighRelief

<< <i>Here's my 8 real. It circulated in the Orient! There were pirates there too. >>



Leiana: Cool looking chops on your 8 real That one has bought a few pounds of rice in it's lifetime.

Leiana

<< <i>

<< <i>Here's my 8 real. It circulated in the Orient! There were pirates there too. >>



Leiana: Cool looking chops on your 8 real That one has bought a few pounds of rice in it's lifetime. >>



^__^ Thanks!

-Amanda

millennium

Sure were...here are some I have found with a metal detector:

Leiana

Wow, you found all those with your metal detector? Cool. I need to go to some better sites to detect.

-Amanda

DUIGUY

<< <i>Pirates also went after plate and ingots. Spanish coins were either called milled dollars or Pillard dollars. These coins had reeded edges. Also coins called Spanish Cob piececs which were odd shaped pieces taken from silver bars and hammered between the dies. Weight, not looks was important. These made up alot of the treasure of the Atocha. Jack Sparrow has one of these hanging in his hair.

-Amanda

Edit- forgot to mention that the dollar was 8 reales and the cob pieces were 1 2 4 or 6 reales. >>



Tumbaga Bars Linky

TheRegulator

<< <i>Umm, No.


Pirates were interested in stealing high value items that didn't weigh a lot - not small change.


>>





Anyone else find this statement odd???


And nice finds, millenium!

Leiana

<< <i>Tumbaga Bars Linky >>



Great Link! Cob pieces and milled dollars here also.

-Amanda

notlogical

Thanks everybody! That's a great coin Amanda! and thanks DUIGUY for the great link!