NorthernTesoro
Jr. Member
- Oct 3, 2014
- 88
- 57
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett AT Pro &
Garrett Pro-Pointer
- Primary Interest:
- Other
Really?!!! I found it in a sidewalk strip next to a old 1800's Masonic Lodge that is near a river that they use to bring oxen and other good to our town from New Orleans. It was 8" and solid black. You are the first person to tell me about the Durango 8R aspect. Now I want to research it more. I just kissed it......again. Lol
If you know more I'd love to hear it. Thank you soooo much.
I've been Metal Detecting for 1.5 years, I found it 6 months into detecting. I metal detect at least 5x's a week. Totally addicted like a nut.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hey Truth1253 Man that is a great find, I can imagine a merchant, trader or even a thief making off with some loot and losing that piece, it had to be someone with money because a 8 Reales wasn't exactly pocket change in that time.
I love the 8 Reales Mexican "Cap & Rays" because they are often overlooked in favor of the more popular Spanish 8 Reales and also because they represent the last of the "pieces of eight". Both the Spanish and Mexican 8 Reales were accepted as legal tender in the US until the coinage act of 1857 and continued to be the workhorse of trade with the orient into the late 1800's. New Orleans was the primary port of entry for Spanish/Mexican silver coins as it was part of a lucrative trade network with Veracruz, Mexico.
Well back to your coin, the Do mint mark denotes the mint at Durango Mexico and the initials R.L. belong to the assayer but unfortunately his name is listed as unknown. It is listed as scarce in my book on Cap & Rays and the followup notes on your coin state "that these are normally found only in Fine to Very Fine and often crudely struck" which sounds exactly like yours! The Die style of this 8R was only used from 1827-1829. Obverse design is the Liberty cap (Phrygian) with rays behind it and the reverse is the Mexican Republican Eagle. The 10D 20G stands for Dineros Y Granos which was a old Spanish medieval method of indicating the finesse of silver or gold, it translates to .903 fine silver. If you look at it's edge it should have a pattern like this )))))))))))) all around and if you ever weigh it, it should come close to 27 grams.
A very interesting coin hoard was discovered in New Orleans in the construction of the Le Meridien Hotel in the 1980's with the Cap & Rays 8R's being one of the main types of coins found together with smaller Spanish and American denominations. You are lucky to live in a very Historically rich place and a gold mine for Metal Detecting!