Ft. Capron payroll coin? Just dropped on the beach by someone? From another Wreck?

[Jolly Mon]

From the Tampa Tribune, Oct 26th, 1928
Obviously the coin was dated 1806 and not 1206.

 

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[mad4wrecks]

I've seen that article before-big typo!

A number of ships went down in a hurricane in 1810 along the Florida east coast in the Ft. Pierce area. About 1/4 mile south of the current Ft. Pierce inlet is the "Archie Bar" wreck aka Harold Holden wreck from 1810.

I suppose, due to where the coin was found, it could be from the Ft. Capron payroll but I would put my money on one of the 1810 wrecks.

ftp://www.feeny.org/Ft. Capron/30147407.pdf

Tom

 

[Southern_Digger]

Doubt the coin (cobb) came from the Ft. Capron payroll. That loss was a paymaster's chest of gold coins. When it happened in the early 1850's, U.S. was suffering from a silver shortage. Therefore, $1 gold coins were designed and minted to compensate for the shortage, to meet army payroll; and, of course, for circulation. Many people don't know the full history of where these coins were lost, at the old Indian River Inlet, although some nice history has been published in various journals and local history books.

A little over ten years earlier, young lieutenant Braxton Bragg, with company E, Third US Artillery, reoccupied Ft. Jupiter (Nov. 30, 1841). In their journey south from Ft. Marion (St. Aug.), they landed at Indian River Bar in rough surf. A boat was upset and he lost seven men to "accidental drowning." I always felt a historical marker should have been erected in that area of A1A honoring these individuals because they lost their lives while serving the U.S. army, not because of the loss of the army payroll.

Of course, in 1982, I contacted the DAR, to have them place markers on the four camps that represent the entire encompassed site of Ft. Jupiter. However, they refused because the markers would be off the beaten path of major roadways. However, a marker along A1A regarding the drownings would be seen by many.

 

[Jolly Mon]

I agree the coin probably came from an unknown wreck north of the inlet, and, after reading the link mad4wrecks posted above, I am almost certain the coin did not come from the Ft. Capron payroll disaster: thanks for a great link !!!

In any event, I had never heard about the tragedy involving the command of the young Braxton Bragg in 1841. I cannot say I am wholly surprised, though. Braxton Bragg had a way of finding himself around disasters. Of course, with Bragg, EVERYTHING, was someone else's fault.

 

[Salvor6]

Archaeologist Carl J. Clausen wrote an excellent report of the Ft. Capron gold find for the Florida Historical Society in 1968. In this report he cataloged the entire collection of coins found. They were all gold coins minted in the US. The report can be seen at:

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[Mackaydon]

'blackened with age' sure doesn't sound like a gold coin.
Don...

 

[Salvor6]

OOPS! Yes, the report says there were clumps of quarter dollars and half dollars fused together.

 

[Jolly Mon]

Mad4wreck's link has the full text of Clausen's article. There is no mention of any Spanish coins being found, but more pointedly, the article clearly states there were no silver dollars found at all. Several hundred silver halves, quarters, dimes and half dimes were recovered. The largest percentage of the gold coins found (27%) were of the dollar variety. The silver coins were probably present in order to make amounts of less than a dollar in the individual men's salaries.

Anyway, here is an image of a Spanish 8 reale coin from 1806:

 

[Southern_Digger]

This is the first time I learned that silver coins were found along with the gold. Moreover, that is why I appreciate this forum. It eliminates the rumors and brings forward accurate information through great research and expert opinions. Thanks for providing the Claussen article link.

Addition:

I found this unreadable coin not far from the old inlet several years ago