Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

[gwdigger]

Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

With a head cold and cabin fever my detecting friend and I ventured down to a colonial site we had hunted several times before. I had not been out in many months so it was a pleasure to be out on a 65 degree day. We both got a pocket full of colonial relics, my take is shown in the pictures. There is a cut piece of silver which at first glance looks like a spoon handle but its not. Its been cut into this shape from a larger piece of silver. The best find on the day is the 1/2 cut French silver coin that may be dated 1721. I cant find the exact coin in my catalogs but it is the same size as a 10 sols coin of the era. The obverse looks like the standard 10 sols but the reverse is different. The 1 is on the reverse at the bottom. I think the coin says SOU but its hard to really be sure. Any help in its complete identification would be great. Thanks, Gary

 

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[DANGLANGLEY]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

That's one heck of a find. Great hunting there.

 

[Mona Lisa]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Sorry, I can't help you, digger. That is an awesome hunt though. Great day when you find silver!

In your first and second pictures on the upper right hand side there's an object with a hook on it. Do you know what that's from? I've found one of those, too.

 

[Old Tom]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Nice find.
My guess. and it is just a guess. It might be a 1731 French West Indies 12 SOL.
That coin had Louis XV on the obverse and on the reverse it had the motto
"ISLES DU VENT" (Isles of the Wind). I can not find a picture of the coin, but
your reverse looks like it has the

LES
U
NT

and could be

ISLES
DU
VENT

Tom

 

[PBK]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Great call, Tom!

No doubt about it...

​

 

[gwdigger]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Excellent! I appreciate it very much. This is a pretty cool find. Thanks all! Gary

 

[Old Tom]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

PBK
You sure were fast at finding that picture, I guess I should have looked a little harder, it was not in the three world coin books I have. But yes that does look like a match.

Gary
Again nice find, I am sure you know that it was common in the 19th century to cut silver coins to make change. That is where the term " two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar " comes from. Spanish coins were legal tender in the US until around 1858, a 8 reales silver coin would be cut for change, the cut pieces would be called bits. We had half cent coins then also, so change could be made for a 1 bit/1 reales coin.

I am thinking your coin was also cut for that reason, to make change. To me that adds to the history of your find, and makes it that much more interesting. I hope you make some more finds like that soon. Good luck.

Tom

 

[gwdigger]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Tom, yes I love these cut coins. It only adds to the history and romance for me to find them cut. My hands were shaking when I found it. Here is a pile of other cut coins I have found since I started many, many moons ago. Incidentally, only 20 feet away I found a 1721 1/4 cut of a 2 reales (almost 2 years ago). Just goes to show a place is never really hunted out completely. HH, Gary

I have also found cut halfpennies and even early large cents and US silver.

 

[trk5capt]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Very Nice Haul On The Relics, Congrats. trk5capt...

 

[EDDE]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

hey you in USA?
damn good digs, boy

 

[Old Tom]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Gary

All I can say is WOW! Very nice pile of cut coins. You must be in a good hunting area, what state are you in. I have hunted with friends that have found cut coins, but have not found any myself. I have recovered a couple reales coins. I think I spend to much time at the beaches. Good luck in your hunting.

Tom

 

[gwdigger]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Tom, I live on Marylands eastern shore otherwise known as the Delmarva Penninsula. As its name implies it includes parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, betwixt and between the Atlantic ocean and the Chesapeake bay. We live in an amazing area of history dating back to the 1620s. I only hunt colonial sites because they are so plentiful. We are spoiled here and I am thankful for it.

Take care, Gary

 

[TxTim]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

That is some impressive stuff!!!!
What is that worth?

 

[tsgman]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Man I am JEALOUS! That is some silver pile. Tsgman

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Great finds! It seems that the practice of cutting coins for smaller denominations owed was a hard one to shake. People cut large cents even though the value of the copper was very little. Great ID from you guys too. This one had me puzzled.

Regards,

Buckleboy

Proud Member of the KDM

 

[EDDE]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

That is some impressive stuff!!!!
What is that worth?

dude

 

[gwdigger]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Whats it worth? I dont know its monetary value but it has priceless sentimental value to me. This pile represents a lot of effort and a lot of fun with family and friends over years and years.

HH, Gary

 

[gwdigger]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Sorry, I can't help you, digger. That is an awesome hunt though. Great day when you find silver!

In your first and second pictures on the upper right hand side there's an object with a hook on it. Do you know what that's from? I've found one of those, too.

I think what your seeing is a half of a tombac button.

HH, Gary

 

[TxTim]

Re: Early cut French silver coin & colonial relics -help please...

Great finds! It seems that the practice of cutting coins for smaller denominations owed was a hard one to shake. People cut large cents even though the value of the copper was very little. Great ID from you guys too. This one had me puzzled.

Regards,

Buckleboy

Proud Member of the KDM

I saw a show about making those coins and the cross designs were also meant to be cutting guides therfore assuring equal size pieces.