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This is it! First Coin Struck For Spanish Florida!

coachleonardcoachleonard Posts: 995 ✭
in World & Ancient Coins Forum
My theory: the 16th century Spanish settlers of Florida needed a coinage that represented their new homeland-- so the standard lion and castle spanish coppers were altered to become 'alligator and castle' copper coins. They were sent to circulate in St Augustine, Florida in the 1500's. Just look at this coin! Has anyone seen a similar piece? ?

Comments

  • 1jester1jester Posts: 8,637 ✭✭✭
    Coach, you certainly know your coins!

    imageimageimage
    .....GOD
    image

    "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -Luke 11:9

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  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,291 ✭✭✭
    Interesting ideas Coach, you have me wanting one of those!
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
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  • coachleonardcoachleonard Posts: 995 ✭
    plus..if i'm not mistaken... shouldn't the obverse legend read "Hispanirum" on the right side of the obverse? What few letters are visible don't resemble that at all!
  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    OK, I think I need some bifocals! What was the source of the coin - ground find?
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • CIVITASCIVITAS Posts: 2,256 ✭✭✭
    Coach, we have a similar one on our website. Yours looks a bit earlier, but I don't know the series very well.

    http://www.civitasgalleries.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=&keywords=me19125

    image
    https://www.civitasgalleries.com

    New coins listed monthly!

    Josh Moran

    CIVITAS Galleries, Ltd.
  • coachleonardcoachleonard Posts: 995 ✭
    Hey Civitas
    Basic design is similar..BUT...mine is noticeabley more alligator like, as in skinnier body, long snout with fangs. Leastways that's how it looks to me!

    This is a ground find, though not sure from where. I didn't find it., just bought it.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here is another ground find, from my hometown, made by a detector buddy of mine.

    But it isn't really "gatorized" either.

    We're not terribly far north of St. Augustine, though we're in GA.

    image

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • coachleonardcoachleonard Posts: 995 ✭
    ah! so those lion/castle coppers did get over to the florida-georgia area. That one might even be the 1556-98 type which puts it right in the 1565 founding of St Augustine period (I think the 1600's ones were more round)... though who really knows exactly when it got to our end of the Atlantic.l
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