Silver coin...Spanish!!

[StogieJim]

Hi All,

Found a silver coin today in N VA on grounds of ~100 yr old church. Dia. 13/16", thickness 1/32". Very little detail which I've enhanced with PhotoShop while using a stereoscope.

Obverse [mounted on a US quarter]: you can see a dot, the top of a head, and the letter "D".
Reverse: (from left to right) a part of the letter "M", dot, edge of something, cross (?) and a dot above it, and what appears to be "HIS".

Note the top of the ~head is opposite the cross/dot on the reverse. Could this be old Spanish? "His...panola"?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

 

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[RELICDUDE07]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

It looks to me like a spanish 2 reale great find .. Sometimes they show there age..Great find go back to the same spot and get some more Relicdude something like this..

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

very worn old silver spanish coin -- new see if theres more of em there--- Ivan

 

[StogieJim]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

Thanks, look's like that's the one!!!!!!! WoW!! this is my first coin from the 1700s. This area has yielded some CW bullets and an 1893 IH penny but very little else; I thought I was done with it but, Nooooooooooooooooo way.

Jim

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

What type of detector do you use?I was going to say, if theres not alot of trash try a big coil ,you can find some deeper targets..If you have a big coil for the machine..If its very trashy a small coil seems to pick out targets better in the iron and trash.. I swap coils sometimes back and fourth ,depends where im at.. Those old spanish coins are great finds Search that area good ...Relicdude

 

[Thomas007]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

Hey Jim

Nice find

Might be a lot more there than meets the eye.

I agree with Relicdude... Try different coils for depth and for discrimination. You may have a gold mine there.

Don't tell KirkPA about it for he and his crew will make that site "Bone Dry" (tm).

Spanish silver is the way to go!!! congrats!!!

HH

Sanat

 

[ivan salis]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

well the bust "type" spanish coins started in 1772 so it after 1772 date wise -- the early american colonies used spanish silver money heavily --- it was legal tender us money till the 1850's period. -- Ivan

 

[StogieJim]

Re: Silver coin...That's all I know...Please help

Thanks for the info and encouragement.

Machine: Tessoro/Tejon w/10x12 coil. This coin was only a few inches deep (<5"). Regardless of when this coin was made it's by far the oldest one I've found so far.

Will keep you advised,

Jim

 

[ivan salis]

well its date time frame is 1772* to 1788 if its a carlos III 2 reale coin (which is what I think it is)--that was his reign as king of spain --- he was the king that started the bust coin type coins in 1772 * hope this helps time frame wise.

 

[Don in SJ]

I believe it is a One Real Spanish Silver and I lean more towards a Carolus IIII silver 1 Real rather than the Carolus III silver, therefore the date range would be 1790's into the 1800's.

You did not say the diameter, but I have both found worn Charles III and Charles IIII (IV) one real's and they are just shy of 21mm, one is 20.5mm (Charles IIII) and one is 20.9mm (Charles III).

A 2 Reale would be approximately 26-27mm in worn condition.

My 1744 2 Reale is bigger than a quarter.

Don

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Don is probably right..I have found some 1 reals and 1/2 reals but no 2 reals ..I just thought the size looked bigger then the 1 real ..I thought the 1-- was a dimesize.. the 2--- about like a quater, the 4 ..like a 1/2 dollar ,and the 8 silver dollar size. Great find

 

[ivan salis]

ah I was looking at the quarter for size in the origional photo -- saw the later nice 2 real piece so I was thinking 2 real or two bits-- (the size with the quarter would give it away -- a quarter is 2 bits or 1/4 of a dollar) ----- a one real coin thats 12 1/2 cents or 1 bit (1/8 of a dollar -- 8 bits make up one dollar) -- since the going price back then for bed to sleep in and a meal for the night for folks was 12 1/2 cents or (1 bit) back then these coins were often very heavily used ---so much so that they often got "knocked" down to 10 cents (a dime) in value in highly worn shape-- ( there are also very tiny and thin 1/2 real silver coins about the size of a modern cent but much thinner ) I guess it good for a meal or food (pick one) . -- the size and % of silver of the original american silver "dollars" was based off of the spanish silver 8 reale coins or milled dollars --and our own coins were broken down in bits size -- half dollar (4 bits) quarter (2) bits --the 10 cent dime came off the often devalued (often underwieght and thin) 1 reale or 1 bit and the nickle (5 cents) from the often devalued 1/2 real (again often underwieght and thin) -- plus these values fit well -- together 1,5,10 ,25 ,50 and dollar ---- there have been 2 cent and 3 cent (nickle) coins and in some cases other values tried --- canada had a 20 cent coin or 1/5 of a dollar -- the spanish piece of eight as a coin of the realm held sway for a long time in the often cash strapped colonies of the new world --- heck until 1852 --the silver spanish piece of 8 was concisdered legal money here in america --- Ivan

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Keep looking that spot anyway spanish silver is good Someone has these on ebay found/ dug in texas ..

 

[Don in SJ]

Here is a photo with some of my ground found silver and I put a quarter in the photo for size comparison. You can also see that the two Carolus IIII One Real's that are showing have worn similar to Jim's and that my 1783 Carolus III One Real has not worn nearly the same way. Odds are on Jim's being a IIII in my guesstimate.

Don

 

[ivan salis]

looking at the photos you posted I agree -- good chance its 1 real -- since the 2 real is a bit bigger in size than the quarter -- know I remember reading something about the new plate coinage or "debased" silver coins under weight and size (from spain) being 20% lighter since the kings cut was already taken from it --but I don't remember the time frame it was done during ---- I do remember reading however the coinage here in the collonies was heavy or full wieght --so that when you brought money back to spain the king got his "full cut" of imported silver or gold -- originally the debased coins were to be used only in spain but they got loose and made their way overseas.

 

[Don in SJ]

Slap myself on the forehead, since Jim did give diameter in inches, (13/16) I did the conversion and it is 20.6mm, no doubt 1 Real, not that I had any doubt.

Don

 

[ivan salis]

yep 1 reale it is then -- nice find -- those 1 reales are often very heavily worn so are the 1/2 reales --they were both high use coins during the time -- 1 reale (12 1/2 cents) was the cost of a nights bed and a dinner meal. the 1/2 real either meal or bed -- take your pick.

 

[StogieJim]

Wow, do I have a lot to learn.

Thanks everyone,

Jim