Pieces of Eight - Some Images of Fractional Uses

numisma

******* NOT FOR SALE ********

A fellow board member expressed interest in seeing some "pieces of eight" coinage, so I am making this very quick and brief thread. Hopefully other members here can expand on this subject and show better images, as I am limited on the coins available to me regarding this subject. In another thread we discussed the different denominations of Pillar Coinage. I stated that there were 1/2 R, 1 R, 2 R, 4 R and 8 R coins minted. The lower denomination coins were struck in full round shape and sometimes the larger coins were cut into orderly pieces to facilitate the need for smaller denominations. This gets very convoluted quickly, as there's a big difference between Spanish coins of the era (i.e. cross pistareens) and Spanish Colonial coins issued in various parts of the world. We have weight and purity differences and, therefore, conversion differences. The Pillar Dollar, or "pieces of eight" was a worldwide favorite coinage due to it's consistent weight and quality. These coins circulated throughout the world and many are countermarked to indicate that the silver coins or pieces of coins were part of a country or island. Some were countermarked in the fashion that U.S. Trade Dollars are countermarked. Like I said, this is a complicated subject. I will leave it at that (due to time constraints) and just post an image that shows how silver coinage of the 1700's through 1800's were used in whole pieces and fractional pieces. I will try to post more later. Maybe the world coin and Early U.S. experts (forum member pistareen and others) can expand on the subject.

Cladiator

Here's a Half Real, 'bout 16mm diameter. The Half Dime before there were Half Dimes.

shirohniichan

Thanks for the photos.

I bought a pillar dollar as part of my trade dollar collection.

ddbird

<< <i>Here's a Half Real, 'bout 16mm diameter. The Half Dime before there were Half Dimes.

>>




I bet that's pretty sweet in hand Clad...

Heres the 8 Reals denom...the size of an older US dollar

Zoins

<< <i>Like I said, this is a complicated subject. I will leave it at that (due to time constraints) and just post an image that shows how silver coinage of the 1700's through 1800's were used in whole pieces and fractional pieces >>

That's a great image numisma. I love the half cut and quarter cuts!

ColonialCoinUnion

This is a 1 Real:

1907Quarter

always an education here-thanks Dennis!

NumisOxide

Cool, I finally get to learn about these. Looking forward to all the other replies.

CIVITAS

The Tortola piece is actually tariffed at 49.5 pence (4 shillings + 1.5 pence). This value would have made it the equivalent of about 5.5 bits/reales on the Island of Tortola. This was done to keep these silver pieces from leaving the colony because they were worth more there than elsewhere in the world.

Barndog

<< <i>Here's a Half Real, 'bout 16mm diameter. The Half Dime before there were Half Dimes.

>>



is that EdgeView™? If not, do you have an EdgeView™ pic of the coin?

Cladiator

<< <i>is that EdgeView™? If not, do you have an EdgeView™ pic of the coin? >>

Nope, that one isn't EdgeView™...I was being lazy when I shot it. Below is an EdgeView™ shot of another one in the collection though. It's a cool coin to display the edge as the design is unlike anything seen on U.S. coinage. People sometimes think these Spanish Colonial milled coins are damaged along the rims but in actuallity that wavy appearance you see is a direct result of the edge markings.

BRdude

Does anyone know the approximate value of these pieces?? Like the commonest ones in VF or so?? I have only seen a couple of the 4 bit pieces, and the ones I saw were AG's or so. Not sure what they were asking. A friend of mine has an 8 reals piece 1700's ands someone told me it was only worth about $100 - $150.
Great informative thread

AU58WALKERS

<< <i>This is a 1 Real:
>>



That does it, I am going to be chasing a set of these. Denomination set.

Very nice 1 real

Barndog

<< <i>

<< <i>is that EdgeView™? If not, do you have an EdgeView™ pic of the coin? >>

Nope, that one isn't EdgeView™...I was being lazy when I shot it. Below is an EdgeView™ shot of another one in the collection though. It's a cool coin to display the edge as the design is unlike anything seen on U.S. coinage. People sometimes think these Spanish Colonial milled coins are damaged along the rims but in actuallity that wavy appearance you see is a direct result of the edge markings.

>>



has your coin seen the acetone yet? Thanks for the EdgeView™

stev32k

Here's one I recently purchased:

AU58WALKERS

how about some of you "hoarders" put some of these up on the BST

Omega

Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing. I too like the look of the cut coinage. Great history!

Cladiator

<< <i>has your coin seen the acetone yet? >>

Nope, the green stuff is still festering. Think I should send it out for a Barndog special?

robec

Sorry about the lousy scans, but I did these before I got my camera.

1 reale




2 reales




4 reales




8 reales