Iron Patch
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- Sep 28, 2007
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Spanish silver dug the Summer of 2001 finally makes it into.... (this post works)
Spanish silver dug the Summer of 2001 finally makes it into Print.
Many who know me here won't recognize this find because I've not talked much about it in the 10 years since I dug it, and even once you see it, it probably still won't make sense because it's the center of a coin and only circulated in my area. Never the less, it is my best coin find to date and I am pretty sure it always will be, because even a coin that had several times the value probably wouldn't mean as much to me.... but I reserve the right to change my mind on that one.
My Dump/Plug/center is one of about 12 known, and is considered a merchant copy. There are about 79 known rings.
Upon his arrival in P.E.I. in 1813, Charles Douglass Smith, the island's newly appointed lieutenant-governor, discovered that there was a serious shortage of circulating coin. Although Spanish coins, mainly the dollars or 8-reale pieces, occasionally found their way to the island in trade, they rarely remained in circulation because they were used to pay for imported goods. In an effort to alleviate this situation, Smith issued a proclamation in 1813 stating, in part: "It is also ordered that Spanish Dollars, limited to the amount of One Thousand, shall be cut at the Treasury, by having a circular piece taken out of the centre of each - the Collars so cut, are to be issued from and received at the Treasury at the rate of Five Shillings Currency each, and the piece so taken out to be issued from and received at the Treasury, at one shilling currency each. " Thus each Spanish dollar provided two silver coins - the outer ring or 'holey dollar' and the centre disc or 'plug' - with a combined total value of six shillings. Since the unmutilated Spanish dollar was valued at only five shillings, it was hoped that by overrating the holey dollar and plugs these pieces would remain in circulation on the island.
However, owing to a large number of fraudulent imitations, probably made by the local merchants, the official issue was recalled and, after 28 September 1814, even genuine issue were no longer exchangeable at the colonial Treasury. However, the unredeemed holey dollars, as well as the merchants' forgeries, continued to circulate for many years. Although records describing any official markings do not seem to have survived, the holey dollars and plugs appear to have been counterstamped with a ring consisting of ten triangles forming a kind of star or sunburst. On the holey dollar this pattern can be seen overlapping the Spanish king's forehead.
The Holey Dollars and Dumps of Prince Edward Island by Christopher Faulkner
http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/ane/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=9532#null
Interview with the author.
http://www.cbc.ca/islandmorning/epis...hris-faulkner/
Spanish silver dug the Summer of 2001 finally makes it into Print.
Many who know me here won't recognize this find because I've not talked much about it in the 10 years since I dug it, and even once you see it, it probably still won't make sense because it's the center of a coin and only circulated in my area. Never the less, it is my best coin find to date and I am pretty sure it always will be, because even a coin that had several times the value probably wouldn't mean as much to me.... but I reserve the right to change my mind on that one.
My Dump/Plug/center is one of about 12 known, and is considered a merchant copy. There are about 79 known rings.
Upon his arrival in P.E.I. in 1813, Charles Douglass Smith, the island's newly appointed lieutenant-governor, discovered that there was a serious shortage of circulating coin. Although Spanish coins, mainly the dollars or 8-reale pieces, occasionally found their way to the island in trade, they rarely remained in circulation because they were used to pay for imported goods. In an effort to alleviate this situation, Smith issued a proclamation in 1813 stating, in part: "It is also ordered that Spanish Dollars, limited to the amount of One Thousand, shall be cut at the Treasury, by having a circular piece taken out of the centre of each - the Collars so cut, are to be issued from and received at the Treasury at the rate of Five Shillings Currency each, and the piece so taken out to be issued from and received at the Treasury, at one shilling currency each. " Thus each Spanish dollar provided two silver coins - the outer ring or 'holey dollar' and the centre disc or 'plug' - with a combined total value of six shillings. Since the unmutilated Spanish dollar was valued at only five shillings, it was hoped that by overrating the holey dollar and plugs these pieces would remain in circulation on the island.
However, owing to a large number of fraudulent imitations, probably made by the local merchants, the official issue was recalled and, after 28 September 1814, even genuine issue were no longer exchangeable at the colonial Treasury. However, the unredeemed holey dollars, as well as the merchants' forgeries, continued to circulate for many years. Although records describing any official markings do not seem to have survived, the holey dollars and plugs appear to have been counterstamped with a ring consisting of ten triangles forming a kind of star or sunburst. On the holey dollar this pattern can be seen overlapping the Spanish king's forehead.
The Holey Dollars and Dumps of Prince Edward Island by Christopher Faulkner
http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/ane/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=9532#null
Interview with the author.
http://www.cbc.ca/islandmorning/epis...hris-faulkner/
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A great (plug) find indeed 
