How many of you have pre-1857 foreign coins in your US coin collections?

[shirohniichan]

I'm reading through legislation to rid the country of worn foreign silver and gold coins, and I think it a good idea to add Spanish colonial, French, and British silver coins and/or Spanish colonial, French, British, and Portuguese gold coins to sets of pre-1857 US coins.

 

Why?

 

1) Because until 1857 many were legal tender.

In many parts of the country there weren't enough US coins to go around, so foreign coins were used instead.

 

2) The silver trime and Flying Eagle cents owe their existence at least in part to these coins.

Legislation for a silver 3 cent piece was introduced in 1850 to be paid out in exchange for worn Spanish, Mexican, British, and French silver coins. The coin eventually got tied to new legislation reducing postage from 5 cents to 3 cents, though. The Flying Eagle cent was paid out in exchange for these coins in February 1857.

 

Many of these coins can be had inexpensively, so why not add some to go along with your bust and early seated coins? They were once American money. Who knows? Maybe the ones you found did circulate along with the busties and seated coins way back when.

[Prethen]

I have a Cap & Rays (1828) and Pillar Dollar (1770). It's a great illustration of early American history.

[nwcs]

I have ancients and some dated foreign coins from the 1600s and 1700s.

[1946hamm-migration]

I have three french 5 franc coins dated 1827 W, 1831 T, and 1839 B.

Thats all I have pre-1857

[rbrown4]

Part of our collection includes 1772, 1779 and 1786 Spanish coins with Carlos III. Would that be included with the group you are referring to?

 

Rey

[stev32k]

The Spanish milled dollar is one of my favorite coins. I learned about pieces-of-eight and pirate treasure as a young boy who read a lot. When I found out one could actually own one of these coins I was hooked, and now have a fairly large collection, Here's one I picked up about a month ago:

 

[SuperDave]

Note my avatar. Only half of my collecting activity involves U.S. issues.

[shirohniichan]

Part of our collection includes 1772, 1779 and 1786 Spanish coins with Carlos III. Would that be included with the group you are referring to?

 

Rey

 

Yep, all of them could have circulated in the US.

 

BTW, I was referring to having these coins as part of your US coin collection (i.e. coins that circulated in the US along with US coins).

 

I guess one could also include US coins in one's Canadian coin collection since there were more US silver coins circulating there before 1870 than Province of Canada coins.

[rrantique]

Wonder if this has something to do with the recently found "Shipwreck"

*with reference to the legislation.

[JRocco]

Count me in.

[rbrown4]

Part of our collection includes 1772, 1779 and 1786 Spanish coins with Carlos III. Would that be included with the group you are referring to?

 

Rey

 

Yep, all of them could have circulated in the US.

 

BTW, I was referring to having these coins as part of your US coin collection (i.e. coins that circulated in the US along with US coins).

 

I guess one could also include US coins in one's Canadian coin collection since there were more US silver coins circulating there before 1870 than Province of Canada coins.

 

Thanks,

 

I consider them as part of the overall collection althought they are listed in my "Foreign" Categories.

 

Rey

 

[MikeInFL]

I have wanted to add one of these to my collection for some time -- particularly a pillar dollar. However, I've not done the prerequisite research on them, and will wait until I have before jumping in...Mike

[DirtyGoldMan]

I have one:

 

 

[TJ'S Coins]

I have an 1820 Mexican Pillar Dollar that would qualify.

[robec1347]

I have a few. Here is my nicest toned one. A one reale from Peru.

 

[WoodenJefferson]

This one may have started out in the America's, but it ended up along with many others in the Orient, as appearant with the applied chop marks.

 

(right on the ole schnozola)

 

I have several denomnations of reales from Mexico/South America with various mint marks. I find them very interesting.

[shirohniichan]

Wonder if this has something to do with the recently found "Shipwreck"

*with reference to the legislation.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the Mohwak Valley Hoard (or whatever it is called) since there were Spanish 2 and 4 reales coins along with Drapped and Capped Bust silver coins.

 

I find it a welcome relief that these coins are so inexpensive, and I also find it interesting they circulated in the US, Australia, Newfoundland, and other places one might not expect were one to only look at the inscriptions on the coins.

[bsshog40]

Now were seeing some of these oldies. Nice!!