My First Colonial Darkside Coin!

coinguy89

I was skimming the eBay grounds looking at my favorite sellers items and came across this nice piece. There was a better example of it in AG-3 but it way through the roof. Obviously, this coin isn't in the best condition, nor is it an extreme rarity (although I'm sure not too many exist anymore), it is of great historical importance to the foundation of the American colonies and the coming of America itself. I hope to obtain more of these type of pieces as they are highly collectable and surely interesting. Here's the photos, let me know what you think. Recommend me my next purchase as well, keep in mind, I don't have tons of cash.

coachleonard

A 2-reale, I take it (a bit larger than quarter size)? Why not go for a type set of Carlos III Spanish-Colonial silver coins-- that would leave the 1/2 reale, 1 reale, 4 reales and 8 reales. The 8 reales will be the most expensive, but the 4 reales may be the greater challenge to find, as the 4r is the scarcest of the silver denominations.

Or.... still try for all those denominations, but go for a variety of types: Pillar type, Carlos IV, Ferdinand VII... and if you're really determined, throw in one of Augustine Iturbide (1822-23)

lordmarcovan

Quick, you can play it on the "Uno" thread! Maybe that'll give me time to scan my 1783 Nova Constellatio copper and play that. The "thread that never dies" has sunk back a couple of pages since the Darksiders got the ball.

I have long thought Spanish Colonial silver undervalued in the lower grades. Krause prices have always seemed crazy low. Real-world performance on eBay has been better, but I think this stuff is still a bargain. In fact, I have been tempted to start collecting it for myself insead of just buying and selling the odd piece. However, I haven't gotten that far yet, and I just started a monumentally challenging Liteside project so for now those will wait. By the time I do collect them, if I ever decide to, they will likely be more expensive. Seems they have nowhere to go but up. Probably even the ones in "junkbox" grades like yours.

I do have eight or ten pieces in my personal collection. Some are on the Holey Coin vest, some in my detector finds album.

One 1783 4-reales piece I wear on the vest was found by a detecting buddy near St. Augustine, Florida.

I have a 2-reales piece that looks like yours but it has a hole.

It isn't on my Holey Coin Vest, though, because I dug it myself, and it has a place in my detector finds album.



My current sigline picture also shows 1776 and 1787 half-reales that I dug. So far I have dug five pieces of Spanish silver over the years: three half-reales, a 1-real, and the 2-reales piece above.

All are holed except this piece.




Want to see one as it's being dug?


These coins are so historical and important on so many levels it's hard to count all the ways they could be fun. They are the basis of our dollar. Legal tender in the USA until just before the Civil War. Likely to be found in practically any state of the Union for that reason.

See how the ribbon snakes its way around the pillar? Some say that's the origin of our dollar symbol: $.
(The peso/dollar symbol may have had other origins but that's as good a story as any, so I'm stickin' with it.)

Lots of history AND collectible silver for the collector on a modest budget- what's not to like? You can get a detector and try to find some, but that's not the easiest way to get them, of course. You could collect holed ones and mount them on a bulletin board with map pins. Or you could just collect circulated unholed ones, like the piece you just got. Me, I already go for dug ones and holeys, but if I were to collect them I would do circulated unholed ones in G-F. Not sure if I would do a type set or a date set first. And if I did a date set, I'm not sure if I would go for the 1/2, 1- or 2-reales pieces.

I sold a cool holed Pillar-type half real a while ago when I upgraded the one on my vest.



You'll probably want to stick with the "portait" type rather than the "pillar" type pieces. More bargains there, I think.

I recommend you go with the smaller denominations in the lower circulated grades (Good to Fine). Unless you do a type set, in which case you'll need one of each denomination and will need to go with higher grades. You can also do a variety of mints if you go with a type set, but if you go with a date set I recommend Mexico City as they are the most commonly encountered. My 18th and 19th century Krause volumes are in the other room, so I don't recall offhand if there are any "stoppers" in the smaller denominations or not. As I recall, there aren't too many, except perhaps for errors, which you won't need for a basic one-a-year date set anyway.

See if you can find a dealer who'll sell them at full catalog or a small premium over catalog. On eBay they're likely to fetch several multiples of catalog price unless you're really lucky.

I say GO FOR IT, I will enjoy seeing how you do, and will keep my eyes open for you since I am not currently collecting these myself, though I have been tempted to more than once. And if you start collecting them and later decide you'd rather pursue something else, why, then I might just stand in the front of the line to buy your set.

coinguy89

Thanks Rob, a very thoughtful and encouraging post.