Question regarding the distribution of early US Coins across the country.

SanctionII

How common or uncommon was it for early US Coins [those minted prior to 1840] to pass through public hands and commercial channels during their lives in circulation and end up in the Western part of the Country [say west of the Mississippi to the western edge of the great plains; and from the Rocky Mountains west to the Pacific Ocean]?

I just looked at the metal detecting forum and saw a thread with a video of a metal detectorist finding [I assume back in the eastern half of the USA] a cache of US coin dating from the early seated liberty years back to the bust era.

It made me think that it is unlikely that metal detectorists in the Western US would find any coins from the 1840's on back to the 1700's. Most of coins from that era lying in the ground are probably located east of the Mississippi.

Any thoughts or comments?

LindeDad

Well the futher back in time you go the further east the US was then.

AUandAG

I agree wholeheartedly. And if you live in Las Vegas, like me, finding any coin from the
1800's is rare. Las Vegas did not exist until 1905 and only had 46,000 folks here when
I came in '64. 2.5 million now. Much of the west operated on Spanish/Mexican coinage
along with US coins from the latter half of the 19th century.

I detect and have found only one coin from the 1800's and that was a 1898 dime. West
is not great for coin detecting, much better for nuggets which they don't have much of
in the east. Maybe it's a trade off. Nuggets are not cheap and can fund those older
coin purchases!

bob

DaveG

Well, first off, prior to the 1840s, US coins were pretty scarce in general - worn Spanish colonial and Mexican coins were mostly what one saw in circulation.

Second, prior to the Gold Rush, most eastern Americans didn't have much reason to travel west of the Mississippi (and I don't think the Mountain Men had much need for coins).

I'd think it would be very unusual for a metal detectorist to find pre-1840s US coins (except perhaps in Texas).