Post a Real Coin...
RYK
Posts: 35,798 ✭✭✭✭✭
Real coins circulated in the early Americas long before the US Mint existed and well after operations began. I just added some additional Real coins to my collection. Feel free to post yours to this thread, and we will see if we can get Pistareen to make an appearance. 
Coins that are multiple Reales are obviously welcome.
Coins that are multiple Reales are obviously welcome.
0
Comments
<< <i>Sorry - wrong forum. This should be in world and ancients.
I thought these circulated in the colonies , ive heard it called the forerunner to the silver dollar as we know it.
<< <i>
<< <i>Sorry - wrong forum. This should be in world and ancients.
I thought these circulated in the colonies , ive heard it called the forerunner to the silver dollar as we know it. >>
You, sir, are correct. The other guy, well, he just does not know better.
Was going to change my handle to "Clueless" but it's already taken.
Here's another nice one I've hung on to.
<< <i>You, sir, are correct. The other guy, well, he just does not know better.
Was going to change my handle to "Clueless" but it's already taken.
Here's lesson #2: They make them in gold, and they are called "escudos".
What's better than one real? Two reales!
That piece is actually owned by a forum member. Perhaps he'll out himself.
Hm, what else have we ...
How about a cob 8 reales plugged to the proper weight in colonial Massachusetts that somehow made its way to New York City in 1711 before sinking on the HMS Feversham?
OK, OK, I know, that's really ugly. Let's find something prettier.
How about a pistareen that is way less worn than me?
Now I'm going to go bump MidLifeCrisis's thread ...
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Someday I'd like one.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
<< <i>
Oooohhhh ... that's one nice pistareen, Pistareen!
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Here ya go!
<< <i>No "Real" problems, just Chop Marks
A real 1804 silver dollar. Cool.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
bob
<< <i>
Um ... WOW!!!
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
<< <i>
HOLY MOLY!!!! That's purdy! Nice image too!
K
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
peacockcoins
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
8 Escudo (1794, inexplicably rotated every time I've attempted to upload it...):
1/2 Escudo (1755):
Charles & Joanna of Spain Escudo (ca. 1556)
That's 1 Real, not to be confused with Real One.
Some background:
<< <i>With the discovery of precious metals in the New World, leadership over the standard of currency passed to Spanish coinage, particularly the de a ocho reales "pieces of eight", a silver coin, immediate forebear of the US dollar and the Mexican peso. The pieces of eight was called the Spanish dollar in the United States, where it remained legal tender in much of the pre-Civil War era of the Republic. Ferdinand and Isabella, Spanish monarchs famous for financing Columbus's expedition in search of a western route to the Indies, introduced the de a ocho reales as a part of a plan to furnish Spain with a unified coinage system. Reales, Spanish for royal, was sometimes called a 'bit' in English, which explains why a quarter is two bits, or three quarters six bits. The term bits may be a reference to a practice of cutting a pieces of eight into eight bits, which circulated as coins.
Vast silver deposits in Peru and Mexico enabled Spain to infuse the world trading system with a steady stream of reals. Mexico City became the seat of the largest mint in the world, turning out a piece of eight coin called the "pillar dollar", a reference to the symbol of the Pillars of Hercules stamped on the obverse (pillar series) or reverse (portrait series). One purpose of the coin was to advertise the New World, and the Pillars of Hercules, the strait that opens the Mediterranean into the Atlantic Ocean, was regarded as the door that led to the New World. The "$" sign probably evolved as a bookkeeping symbol for the dollar with the vertical line or lines representing the pillars and the S sign representing a banner hanging from it.
The coinage of New Spain and Mexico runs into billions, and their pieces of eight and pesos served as the standard medium of exchange in the United States, the Philippines, China, and many European markets. The first, or Continental currency of the United States of America, was made payable in Spanish milled dollars. The Mexican peso and its subdivisions were legal tender in US until February 21, 1857, when by Act of Congress, all laws authorizing its circulation and acceptance were repealed. Up to June 30, 1862, the sum of $2,103,275.74 in Mexican coins had been accepted by the United States Federal offices. (Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, for the Fiscal year ending June 30, 1862, p.35) >>
To keep things contained, I will only post one or two examples of each type. If you want to see the whole collection, check out my set by following the link in my signature. All of the coins pictured below were accepted in US and circulated until 1857.
Fernando VI
1759 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in PCGS XF45
Charles III
1777 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in NGC AU55
Charles IV
1803 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in NGC MS62
1807 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in PCGS MS62
Fernando VII
1809 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in PCGS AU59 (thanks, CRO!)
1816 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in PCGS MS63 (thanks, bidask!)
Early Republic
1824 Mexico City Mint 8 Reales in PCGS XF45 - Hookneck series.
Mexico had some fascinating coins minted during their War of Independence (1810-1821) due to the fact that all of a sudden 10 provisional mints sprung-up and started minting coins using often sub-par dies and planchets. Quite a few crude examples can be seen during that time. Not to mention numerous military commanders counterstamping circulating coinage with their own designs.
Here are a few examples of the provisional coinage from War of Independence period:
1813 Durango Mint 8 Reales in NGC XF45 (NGC and I disagree about the actual date. I believe this to be an example of an 1815 issue)
1814 Guadalajara Mint 8 Reales in NGC XF40 (struck on a cast planchet and lots of mint errors)
1811 Zacatecas Mint 8 Reales in NGC VF35
8 Reales Madness Collection
8 Reales Madness Collection
OK -- riddle me this, Batman: When is a Real not Real?
Answer:
Sorry for the large images.
This is a 1791 2 reales. It is a contemporary counterfeit.
It is thought that counterfeiters in the New York City area were making these to circulate in the US during colonial times and a little later, as these were the type of coins that were in people's pockets in the late 1700's and early 1800's.
This one was quite crudely engraved. Note the date and the "lions" on the back, for example.
This specimen is currently unique. However, some of the more "available" counterfeit 2 reales of this era are available for about $100 and up. By "available", I mean that there might be 30 known in all grades, so they all tend to be scarce. But the most expensive one of these to ever sell at auction still sold for less than $2000. I love them, as you might be able to tell.
Coin Rarities Online
As you've mentioned, to a specialized collector this one would be worth a few hundred dollars.
Here are a couple I used to own - 8 Reales and 1 Real:
8 Reales Madness Collection
Oh how I wish I had pictures of some my counterfeit reales to post here!
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
8 Reales Madness Collection
Love the dirt on the reverse of this one.
In Kleeberg's COAC on counterfeit 2Rs, he posited that the US was the only place where fractional Spanish colonial silver circulated from multiple mints. I have at least a dozen chopmarked subsidiary denominations (mostly 2Rs) that run against this thesis.
So a lot of the "Indian" counterfeits, I think, are actually Indonesian or from elsewhere in southeast Asia.
By the way, I think I've seen a VERY low grade example of your countereit 8R variety -- but never that 1R, and I have a pretty good collection of fakes of that denomination. That coin is truly awesome! Great item.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
<< <i>TwoKopekii -- I have a working thesis that I'll publish one of these days on those really crude counterfeits, particularly the ones with nonsense characters and legends. I believe they were made in Asia in the era, someplace where pieces from multiple mints circulated side by side (explaining mismatched mintmarks and assayers, as often seen) but also where the "minters" were not especially familiar with Western characters.
In Kleeberg's COAC on counterfeit 2Rs, he posited that the US was the only place where fractional Spanish colonial silver circulated from multiple mints. I have at least a dozen chopmarked subsidiary denominations (mostly 2Rs) that run against this thesis.
So a lot of the "Indian" counterfeits, I think, are actually Indonesian or from elsewhere in southeast Asia.
By the way, I think I've seen a VERY low grade example of your countereit 8R variety -- but never that 1R, and I have a pretty good collection of fakes of that denomination. That coin is truly awesome! Great item. >>
Thank you, John. That 1 Real is now residing in Swamperbob's collection.
I haven't though about the Asian market when discussing crude counterfeits, since I've only seen 1 example of the crude with chopmarks. I would think that if the hypothesis was true, majority would be chopped. Having said that, my experience with these crude types is limited to about 10 coins.
Here's one that I'm referring to. It's a copper-core Sheffield plate, which makes me think it's a contemporary. I think this one is still around somewhere around the house. I'll check and send you a PM if you're interested.
8 Reales Madness Collection
Two bits...
This one gives a good sense of how the planchet was essentially hammered flat, then struck. It's easy to see why these were clipped so frequently!
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
8 Reales Madness Collection
1808 1/2 Real - PCGS G-6
1774 1/2 Real - PCGS VG-10
1790 2 Real - PCGS VG-10
Coin Rarities Online