AH, the ubiquitous Pillar Dollar...

[Jazzy]

...the most widely circulated colonial/post-colonial coin.

 

I don't know of a colonial that has a more storied and fascinating history:

 

---the intricate political intrigues of colonization

---incessant issues of weight and fineness

---circulated widely throughout the colonies and early states

---used for commerce with the Orient

---many chopmarked examples - an archeology unto itself

---many lost in shipwrecks, many recently recovered

---the favorite of pirates on the high seas

---Tennyson had his fictional pirates teach their parrots to say "piece of eight"

---considered legal tender in the US clear into the 19th century

---paper money backed by the Spanish Dollar

---US coinage based on the Spanish Dollar

---first coin listed in the Redbook

 

How can you resist? I found this one today at a dealership in Manhatten.

 

The scans suck. They are a piece of [embarrassing lack of self control].

 

But I'm sending the coin to Hayden so that I can get a good pic of it.

 

The coin grades only a VF by my reckoning, but it's suffused with lovely toning - deep blues, iridescent greens, and coppery highlights. All on an original skin.

 

I'll post a real pic as soon as I can.

 

[MikeInFL]

Have no fear, Hayden will have those colors (over)saturated in no time.

 

This is a coin I've always wanted to own. Nice pickup!!!

[Jazzy]

Have no fear, Hayden will have those colors (over)saturated in no time.

 

That's actually what I'm counting on. The toning of the coin can only be seen at certain angles under medium lighting. But it's there - it's spectacularly there.

 

The dealer offered me a similar coin at a higher grade for only a little more scratch, but it was obviously cleaned. I chose to go with the circulated piece.

[TomB]

It looks pretty nice!

[Grumps]

The favorite coin in my collection! Pillars carry so much history and with their wonderful design and detail even around the edge, it makes it one coin that every collector MUST have! I wouldn't trade mine for anything!

 

Greg

[mrkelso]

I love Pillar Dollars