My first 1700s silver! (HALF REALE)

[cam9457]

My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE)

I was out today with an md buddy even though we had a fresh coating of snow today and found a 1781 silver coin! I think it's some kind of Spanish reale? It does have a hole drilled in it for some reason. Any ideas as to what it is and why someone would drill such a small hole through it? Thanks for looking and HH!

 

[SoreKneesDayton]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Great coin--1700s wow. And it is in such great shape. Ifound one that you can barely tell what kind of coin it is but yours is sweet.

SKD

 

[seger98]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Nice find!

 

[tymcmurray]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Congratulations!!!

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Thank you everybody! At first I thought it was just another Roosie, then I picked it up and felt how thin it felt. It does appear to be rust around the hole, not sure why but the iron nail theory sounds about right to me. Not sure what it is with this site and me finding holed coins? This pic is of some type of KG that had two holes drilled in it and the theory behind it is it was made into a kids toy called a buzzer. Also found a few wheaties and another 64' Roosie at the site today and my buddy found a younger bust KG with a lot of detail for a coin in the ground for that long. Any ideas as to why someone would punch a hole in a coin back then? I know sometimes holed coins had holes to be put onto a necklace back then for safe keeping but I can't think of any material that would have been thin and strong enough for that back then?

 

[collector01]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Congrats on your first 1700s silver, its in great shape. They put wholes in them to carry so they wouldn't lose them, and they also nailed them in their barns for good luck maybe that's why theres rust. Keep up the great work and hope you find many more.

 

[John Deere Digger]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Nice reale, super.
JDD

 

[Trond]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Beautiful find.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Thank you everybody! At first I thought it was just another Roosie, then I picked it up and felt how thin it felt. It does appear to be rust around the hole, not sure why but the iron nail theory sounds about right to me. Not sure what it is with this site and me finding holed coins? This pic is of some type of KG that had two holes drilled in it and the theory behind it is it was made into a kids toy called a buzzer. Also found a few wheaties and another 64' Roosie at the site today and my buddy found a younger bust KG with a lot of detail for a coin in the ground for that long. Any ideas as to why someone would punch a hole in a coin back then? I know sometimes holed coins had holes to be put onto a necklace back then for safe keeping but I can't think of any material that would have been thin and strong enough for that back then?

Another theory on the KG 2 holed is they used them as buttons, as they often got too worn to use & the button shortage mean't they converted like sized items.

 

[Brian in MA]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Congrats on that awesome looking half reale. Hole or not, it is a super find !!!

Brian in MA

 

[Ifoundit69]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

wow what a reale

 

[minton7]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

cool digs... i hit one a long time ago... half reale... almost worn smooth.... mine is 1810........ I think it is a half reale ne ways.... dime sized or so.... very thin....... very cool coin...esp to find under football bleachers that date from 1913..... everyone hunted the area for 30 yrs... yet I pulled it from like 3 inches... I didnt know what it was for several yrs till I saw one posted on here...... great going.... and dont sweat the hole..... hole or not.... many T-netters never dig one

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Very nice half reale, old by American standards! The holes actually add some character to the coin as there were several reasons for a hole in a coin. Just to name a few reasons for holed coins, some put them on a string of sort and wore them as a necklace or bracelet as a means of carrying money, buttons, kids whizzer toys and patriotism are other ways holes were put in coins. Back in the early days, money was not so important as many were self sufficient with farms for example. Nice find and HH, Mike

 

[allen]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

congrats on that sweet silver...

 

[ivan salis]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

well money when traveling in those days was often holed and then pinned to the inside of a coat to keep it ( clothes with pockets like we use today had not yet happened clothes wize)--the iron on the coinmight be from the pin that rusted away over time.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

well money when traveling in those days was often holed and then pinned to the inside of a coat to keep it ( clothes with pockets like we use today had not yet happened clothes wize)--the iron on the coinmight be from the pin that rusted away over time.

I did think of this, as I knew they sewed them into there clothes but the rust throw me of track becuase I began to think of it nailed to a hard object. It makes a lot of sence but how did these pins work, wheres the evidence, I would like to know more about this theory, as its the first time I have heard pins being used?

 

[ivan salis]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

think of a straight pin bent over and the tip end bent like a catch (sort of like a form of safety pin)-- it would be much eazier than sewing a coin on everytime ---to pay for something --- open the catch-- take off a coin -close catch -- to add a coin open the catch add coin then close the catch --if the coin was lost with the pin with it over time the pin would rust away --leaving its calling card (iron mark on the coin) behind the small pin would quickly rust away to nothing--- Ivan

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

think of a straight pin bent over and the tip end bent like a catch (sort of like a form of safety pin)--eazier than sewing a coin everytime --- open the catch take off a coin -close catch -- to add a coin open add coin the close --if the coin was lost with the pin with it over time the pin would rust away --leave its iron mark behind

sounds plausable, just never come across it..

 

[ivan salis]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

you wouldn't the straight pin being so small would quickly rust away to nothing -- only the tattle tale "rust" mark would be left behind

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

think of a straight pin bent over and the tip end bent like a catch (sort of like a form of safety pin)--eazier than sewing a coin everytime ---to pay for something --- open the catch-- take off a coin -close catch tp -- to add a coin open add coin then close the catch --if the coin was lost with the pin with it over time the pin would rust away --leaving its calling card (iron mark on the coin) behind Ivan

This would make sense being that the hole is so small, I can't think of a material that back then would have been strong enough to hold a coin securely and thin enough to go through the hole at the same time. I was really puzzled as to why there was rust on it but I guess there could be a good number of reasons

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

The soil it was found in can "eat" an old rose head nail in 100 years so if there was a small pin in there I wouldn't be supprised if it had disintegrated since it was dropped