Big colonial silver and cute pin

[gunsil]

Found this large Spanish coin years ago and although it is holed and I count it as a jewelry find rather than a coin find, it is my oldest silver. It was dug at a still standing and occupied house yard that was built in 1733. Sadly the site was destroyed years ago in the name of "progress". The half dollar is for size reference. I really like the little pin, love the "keep the babies well" slogan!! Dime is for size reference.

 

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[coinman123]

Not spanish, it's a King George II Half Crown. An English coin, the word Lima coin means it was struck from silver took from Lima. Very cool, many old coins that were not jewelry have been holed. I think you got a very incredible find, I would have a heart attack on the spot if I dug it.

"The word LIMA below the King's bust records that this coin was struck with bullion seized by Admiral Anson during his world voyage (1739-1743) or by other privateers in the Atlantic. The word LIMA was added to the coin at the request of the Bank of England to commemorate the exploits. Much of the Spanish coin captured bore the Lima mint mark."

 

[Garrett424]

Fantastic finds; all of them.
Congrats.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Not spanish, it's a King George II Half Crown. An English coin, the word Lima coin means it was struck from silver took from Lima. Very cool, many old coins that were not jewelry have been holed. I think you got a very incredible find, I would have a heart attack on the spot if I dug it.

"The word LIMA below the King's bust records that this coin was struck with bullion seized by Admiral Anson during his world voyage (1739-1743) or by other privateers in the Atlantic. The word LIMA was added to the coin at the request of the Bank of England to commemorate the exploits. Much of the Spanish coin captured bore the Lima mint mark."

One of the very first colonial coins I dug almost 20 years ago was a counterfeit 1745 shilling, and it included the "LIMA" under the bust as did the legit coins from that time. Mine was made from pewter and rang in slightly above nickle level. Didn't know what I had at first being a green horn, but I soon figured it out. But a genuine half crown is an awesome and very rare find here in the US as are any milled British silver coins from the late 17th into the 18th century. Exporting silver coinage to the colonies at that time was a forbidden practice, but a few made it over. And gunsil found one of them. Very nice indeed!!

 

[Chestdiesel]

Wow. Great finds. I would have thought that was a Spanish coin as well.

 

[bentdiggin]

Super coins. Sometimes the hole was put in coins so they could be sewn onto clothing so as not to lose it. Evidently didn't workout so well considering how many are found holed.

 

[Mackaydon]

Basically the same story but with specifics as to who were the Captains:
During the War of the Austrian Succession, Great Britain was the ally of Maria Theresa of Austria, and fought its two greatest maritime rivals, France and Spain. In July 1745, Captains James Talbot and John Morecock, commanding two

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privateers in the North Atlantic, thePrince Frederick and the Duke, captured two French treasure ships returning from Callao, the port of

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Lima. Their haul was £800,000 in silver coins and ingots, plus gold and other goods. When they landed at Bristol in October it took 45 wagons to transport the coin and bullion (which weighed over 78 tons) to the Tower Mint. There the silver was used in the production of the so-called 'Lima' coinage of 1746. It was requested that the word 'Lima' be used on the coins to celebrate the exploit. Here LIMA can be seen spelled out under the portrait of King George II (reigned 1727-60)
Source: British Museum - Silver 'Lima' crown (5 shillings) of George II
Don......

 

[gunsil]

Super coins. Sometimes the hole was put in coins so they could be sewn onto clothing so as not to lose it. Evidently didn't workout so well considering how many are found holed.

I am not one of those who believe coins were holed to sew into clothing. Coins were sewn into clothing in little pockets. I have seen literally thousands of old coins that were holed for jewelry while working for an antique and estate jewelry store. Many of the coins in necklaces and bracelets I have seen were 18th and 19th century silver coins. Defacing coins was a no-no long ago as it is now if they were to be used in circulation. I have several other smaller holed coins from the 1700s that I have found over the years, and I believe they were all holed to wear as ornaments or jewelry. Old time hunters like myself always call coins that were used in jewelry as jewelry finds, not coin finds although that criteria seems to have disappeared with the later or newer hunters. It seems to me to be harder to find early silver coins without holes than to find them with holes. I found that coin and others back in the early 1970s with my trusty Garrett BFO Master Hunter. Thanks to those who straightened me out about it's being an English coin, it hasn't seen the light of day out of my safe for many years, and when I found it I assumed it was Spanish due to the Lima mark.