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Undiscovered (but documented) Colonial Coins

In a Colin Calloway's book on Native American contact with European cultures, I found this nugget: "In 1695 two Apalachees living near St. Augustine, were arrested for counterfeiting Spanish coins out of tin." Man, would I like to find one of THOSE! I assume they were counterfeiting the silver Spanish coins, but maybe it was the copper coins.

But y'know, I have a Spanish 4 maravedis that I have often wondered if it was counterfeit. The lion on it looks like an alligator (hence I always wondered it it was counterfeited in Florida!) But my piece is made of copper.

Comments

  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,290 ✭✭✭

    Interesting. Got any pics?
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  • yes but haven't had any luck posting pics on here in the last year or so....someone said it now requires photobuckets(???) or something like that. Last time someone had to post the pics on my behalf.
  • ormandhormandh Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭
    Send the pics to me and I will post them. -Dan
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>In a Colin Calloway's book on Native American contact with European cultures, I found this nugget: "In 1695 two Apalachees living near St. Augustine, were arrested for counterfeiting Spanish coins out of tin." Man, would I like to find one of THOSE! I assume they were counterfeiting the silver Spanish coins, but maybe it was the copper coins.

    But y'know, I have a Spanish 4 maravedis that I have often wondered if it was counterfeit. The lion on it looks like an alligator (hence I always wondered it it was counterfeited in Florida!) But my piece is made of copper. >>



    Kind of a stretch calling it a colonial coin, since it is just a counterfeit of an unknown Spanish or Spanish-American coin.
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • Actually far more of a Colonial coin than the lion's share of coins listed as "Colonials"-- unlike most of those, these counterfeits were struck IN Colonial America DURING the Colonial period.

    But Dan, I will try and take you up on your offer once I track down the pic of my "Alligator" 4 maravedis
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>yes but haven't had any luck posting pics on here in the last year or so....someone said it now requires photobuckets(???) or something like that. Last time someone had to post the pics on my behalf. >>




    Go to photobucket.com and register. You can upload your images and then post them here afterwards.



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  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I assume they were counterfeiting the silver Spanish coins, but maybe it was the copper coins. >>



    Given that tin is significantly more expensive than copper (and silver in color), they would have been counterfeiting silver coins.


    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Actually far more of a Colonial coin than the lion's share of coins listed as "Colonials"-- unlike most of those, these counterfeits were struck IN Colonial America DURING the Colonial period.

    But Dan, I will try and take you up on your offer once I track down the pic of my "Alligator" 4 maravedis >>



    Those pieces generally have some sort of a distinctive design. This sounds like a counterfeit of a common circulating piece.

    By the way, I highly doubt that they would have been "struck." That requires a certain amount of equipment. Casting was much easier.
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • One day I will get involved in colonials but right now just to much to learn else where.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If they were counterfeiting their coins in tin, chances are none of those pieces have survived. Tin is a very reactive metal, and a problem known as "tin pest" has long plagued pieces that were made of it. Once it starts "tin pest" (corrosion) is irreversible and in the opinion of many observers unstoppable.

    The best known colonial American pieces that were made of tin were the American Plantations Coins that were first issued in 1688 (page 41 in the 2013 Red Book). Most of the survivors have "tin pest."
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • raysrays Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>If they were counterfeiting their coins in tin, chances are none of those pieces have survived. Tin is a very reactive metal, and a problem known as "tin pest" has long plagued pieces that were made of it. Once it starts "tin pest" (corrosion) is irreversible and in the opinion of many observers unstoppable.

    The best known colonial American pieces that were made of tin were the American Plantations Coins that were first issued in 1688 (page 41 in the 2013 Red Book). Most of the survivors have "tin pest." >>



    Here is one such tin piece:
    PCGS AU58:image

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