What coins were brought from England
percyb
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What coins were brought to Massachusetts in the early 1600s. I ask because I've studied John Winthrop and the early colonization of New England around the Massachusetts area and have only heard of the Oak Tree Shilling that began circulation in 1652. What coins were used prior to 1652?
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The colonists wouldn't have been too fussy about accepting only English coin; whatever came their way, they'd have used: Spanish, Dutch, French, whatever was available. Exchange rates would be haggled on an ad-hoc basis.
Of course, in the early days of the colonies, most of this coinage would have been used to purchase necessary goods from passing ships, and would have disappeared as fast as it arrived. Within the colonies, barter would have been far more commonly used than coinage for daily purchases, simply due to the lack of a ready supply of coins.
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<< <i>British (or, rather, English) coins of the early 1600's would have been mainly those of king James I; you can see some examples here. Some coins of Elizabeth I would also have still been around.
The colonists wouldn't have been too fussy about accepting only English coin; whatever came their way, they'd have used: Spanish, Dutch, French, whatever was available. Exchange rates would be haggled on an ad-hoc basis.
Of course, in the early days of the colonies, most of this coinage would have been used to purchase necessary goods from passing ships, and would have disappeared as fast as it arrived. Within the colonies, barter would have been far more commonly used than coinage for daily purchases, simply due to the lack of a ready supply of coins. >>
Thanks for your insights here. I guess the coinage would have come and gone as you note. That makes sense since the ships were either dropping off goods to the new colony or picking up items....